Reasons to Fight
by VampireMassacrexx
Summary: Before being taken to Nohr, Corrin spent the first few years of her life with her Hoshidan family. They loved and cared for her after all she was one of their own but fate is cruel and their happy years together were short lived. But that doesn't take away any value from the few memories they made together however, will her loyalty to her Nohrian family prove too strong to resist?
1. Reasons to Fight: A Meeting of Hearts

Yeah...This is going to be lengthy (sorry) so feel free to skip straight to the story (after reading the **'spoilers** ' tag of course...).

Hello, it's me again and I am so excited to be bringing you this story! 'Fire Emblem: Fates' was finally released where I live a few weeks back and it's all I ever dreamed of and more. Of course, due to the game having so much content, it's easy enough to find inspiration for fan fictions. I wasn't a member of this website when I first played 'Awakening' in fact, I hadn't even discovered the amazing world of fan fictions for the most part back then (I know, how empty was my life without fan fiction, right?). As a result, I didn't get the chance to commit any of my ideas for 'Awakening' stories to text and so they're still just swimming around in some long-forgotten part of my memory hoping to be reborn one day. From the very first trailers for 'Fates', I have been an Hoshido fan girl and my loyalty still remains firmly with them despite having finished both 'Birthright' and 'Conquest' and having played most of 'Revelation'. I feel like Hoshido, the Hoshidan royals, the 'Birthright' characters and just 'Birthright' in general don't get enough love and it really upsets me especially since- like I said- I've been loyal to them since day one. Don't misunderstand me, I also love 'Conquest' and the characters in that so there will be no 'bashing' Nohr or anything (unless it's required for the story).

One of the only things I dislike about 'Fates' is how few Chapters there are before having to pick a side, I feel like you just don't get enough time to bond with either side very much and so-unless you're like me and already knew where your loyalties would lie- it's hard to really feel a connection with either. Also, after that, with so much going on within the three stories, there isn't really much time to reflect on the past. Even the Supports seem to lack information about the Avatar's past with their respective families for the most part and thus, this story was born. In an attempt to look at the Avatar's life in Hoshido before they are kidnapped and taken to Nohr. One of the only arguments that annoy me when it comes to picking Nohr over Hoshido is the fact that the Avatar barely knows their Hoshidan family in comparison to their Nohr family but that doesn't excuse the fact that you do still have the first few years of life to take into consideration and the only reason that there aren't more years is because they were kidnapped in the first place! So this story hopes to delve a bit more into those early years and the few memories that the Avatar got the chance to make before being taken to Nohr.

This story will (hopefully) focus mainly on the Avatar's relationships with their siblings, parents and a few other bits and bobs here and there as well as on the aftermath for Hoshido and the royal family after the Avatar's kidnapping. There will be no romance or anything due to the ages of the characters (probably obvious but I thought I'd clear it up anyway) however, my 'top pick' for an Avatar pairing is with Ryoma and so I do plan on writing some romantic stories about that pairing at some point (because there's practically none to be found anywhere). Hopefully though, due to the majority of this story not being based on actual events that take place in the game, there will be very little in terms of game spoilers or incorrect information.

Well...sorry about the length of that (congratulations if you read through it all), now to the story. I'm using the default female Corrin in this story for simplicity's sake.

 ***Spoilers Warning*** Definite spoilers about the Avatar's actual relation to the Hoshidan royal family (hopefully people will know what that means and if they don't then that probably means they shouldn't read on). Also, spoilers about certain game events.

*I own nothing to do with 'Fire Emblem [Fates]', its locations, characters etc.*

 **Rated T**

* * *

 **Reasons to Fight**

 **Chapter One: A Meeting of Hearts**

"Help, please! Help me Sumeragi!"

The incessant banging on the palace door continued and she was surprised that the sharp noises of her fists against the door, which were so loud that they could be heard over the thunder and lightning crackling around her, hadn't caused any of the guards to stir or the retainers to investigate or- more importantly- the tiny bundle in her arms to awaken.

Mikoto had been frantic all the way here to the palace in Hoshido where she would certainly find some help from the man who claimed to love her. Just then, the door opened with a creak to reveal the man in question, the King of Hoshido. The rain mixed in with the tears that were streaming down her face as his concerned voice seemed to boom out around her and strong arms suddenly supported her weight as her legs began to give out from underneath her. An anguished cry cut through the night as her baby awoke and alerted Sumeragi to her presence.

Sumeragi's eyes widened as he looked at her. "Mikoto! What's wrong? What happened?"

She shook her head, trying to convey that she wasn't ready to answer his questions. He pulled her inside despite the fact that she was soaking wet from the rain. The palace was warm and comfortable. Things seemed to pass by in a blur of motion and sound as she was dried with towels and her baby was given a warm blanket. Mikoto was placed in a warm room with a fire and sat in a chair that was perhaps too comfortable for its own good. She looked down at her child that had quickly fallen back to sleep in her arms, feeling a brief sense of contentment despite the excitement of the evening before this moment. Her eyes found Sumeragi's as he places some tea on the table and sat down in a chair next to the one she was occupying before asking her to tell her tale. She spent the rest of their time alone together telling him as much as she was allowed to whilst continuing to cuddle the baby in her arms.

* * *

Ryoma was startled awake by a loud banging noise outside. A storm was still going strong and the rain was noisily landing on the castle grounds. The seven-year-old rubbed his tired eyes and tried to get his mind to focus; the castle wasn't bursting with activity so whatever was outside wasn't a threat.

Or at the very least, he hoped it wasn't.

The young boy was by now completely and utterly awake. He had no chance of falling back to sleep despite it still being dark outside. Sighing to himself, he decided to check on his two-year-old sister, Hinoka in case all of the racket outside had caused her to stir from her slumber.

He walked silently towards the room where she slept and peered through a gap in her door. She was still soundly asleep which was unusual for her since she tended to cry a lot. Not like he minded, as her older brother it was his responsibility to look after her. Ryoma never resented it when she got more attention than him after all, it was only natural what with her being so young and all. Ryoma probably took up a lot of time too when he was little although in his case he hadn't had to share that attention with an elder sibling.

His next port of call was his mother's room. He looked over the sleeping form of his mother, Ikona, as she slept although she stirred slightly due to the light from the corridor shining through the gap in the door Ryoma was using to peer through. His eyebrows pulled together in confusion. His mother was here but…his father wasn't. Where was he? Suddenly, he heard movement from downstairs. Ryoma closed the bedroom door as quietly as he could before heading to investigate.

He wasn't afraid. He wasn't! He couldn't afford to be. His father-the King of all of Hoshido wouldn't be afraid of this after all, he was the bravest and most honourable man Ryoma knew. If this was him investigating a potential threat, he wouldn't be afraid. His father would take his ever trusty sword, Raijinto, with him and face whatever awaited him with a quiet confidence and grace. He would protect his family and his kingdom at all costs. Ryoma would have to inherit those responsibilities from him one day. He wouldn't be afraid!

His movements were swift but silent as he headed downstairs towards the source of the sound. Yet again, he found himself peering into the room whilst trying his hardest not to be spotted by whatever awaited him inside.

He was shocked by what was inside.

It was a woman. A woman holding what looked to be a tiny infant in her arms. Wait…he knew that woman! It was Mikoto. He'd seen her around the palace a few times. She was a dear friend of his father but he'd never seen her with a baby before. Admittedly, the child looked rather young- younger than even Hinoka. Maybe a new-born? He pondered this when a voice from behind him startled him out of his reverie.

"Ryoma, you should still be in bed! Why are you here?"

Ryoma jumped and turned to face his father. "Father, I…I heard noises and came to investigate." He murmured, pointing in the direction of Mikoto.

His father oddly enough smiled at him rather than scolded him further, "Well, whilst you're here, there's someone I would like you to meet."

Strong hands placed themselves upon the young boy's shoulders and started to lead him into the room. When he was completely settled into a chair, Ryoma looked between the two adults. Mikoto looked nervous however, his father who was always calm regardless of the circumstances, smiled reassuringly at his son.

"I-I've met Mikoto before, Father." Ryoma said hesitantly.

"I know, son, but I actually wanted you to make the acquaintance of your new baby sister."

Ryoma's eyes snapped to his father's as a shocked gasp escaped from his lips. " _Sister?!_ But…but…Hinoka is _my_ sister."

His father bent down to his son's level and gazed straight into his confused eyes as he spoke, "Yes she is and that hasn't changed. This child you see here is Mikoto's baby. She isn't related to you or to myself by blood but you see…son, Mikoto and her baby were in a lot of trouble and they came here to ask me – to ask us- for help. We can't turn them away, that isn't how we do things."

Ryoma tried to work things out in his brain, piecing them together bit by bit, portion by portion before asking his next question. "Then, who _is_ her father?"

Both Sumeragi and Ryoma turned to look at Mikoto but she looked away towards the fire place without providing an answer.

Sumeragi sighed and looked down for a moment before turning towards his young son yet again. "That's not important, I am her father now and you are her big brother in the same way that you are also Hinoka's."

"Would you like to meet her?" Mikoto's voice made both Ryoma and his father start slightly as she hadn't spoken a word in quite some time.

Ryoma nodded hesitantly. Well, if he was going to be her _'brother'_ then, this was going to happen eventually. He'd rather just get it over with. He had no idea how his own mother- **his mother by blood** \- would respond to this situation and he felt a small ball of resentment brewing inside of him which was strange since he felt nothing of a sort for Hinoka nor was he normally the kind of person to feel _resentment_.

The boy held out his arms and Mikoto placed the baby girl, albeit a little reluctantly, into his arms. Ryoma held her tenderly despite the dark emotion that was brewing inside of him. However, as soon as he looked at her face all of those cruel feelings towards her vanished in an instant.

What struck him first were her ears which were oddly shaped followed by the unique shade of her eyes. _Blood red_ , a colour that normally signified such terrible things and yet, her eyes were strangely hypnotic and filled with nothing but kindness and innocence. Not bad things at all. Not things like anger, rage and pain. She was looking at him curiously as he moved his hand gently to brush the fine white hairs from her forehead. She grinned up at him and Ryoma gasped as his brotherly instincts kicked in.

His head snapped up to face Mikoto. "What's her name?" He asked. Knowing her name was important. He had to put a name to this face that adorned a smile directed at him and him alone.

"Her name is Corrin." Mikoto answered. A warm smile on both her face and on that of his father's as they watched the two children as they became better acquainted with each other.

"Corrin" He whispered. The sound of it falling from his lips feeling as natural as it did when he first whispered Hinoka's name to himself. "Corrin."

It felt… _perfect_.

* * *

Sometime later and dawn was beginning to break. Ryoma didn't pay much attention to Sumeragi when he picked up a now sleeping Mikoto to take her from the room. Corrin was still awake and looking at her big brother with such love and purity in her gaze. It was clear she accepted him just as much as he did her despite the strange circumstances that had brought them together.

The prince of Hoshido bent down slowly to press a small kiss against the young babe's forehead before whispering his first words directed solely to the young girl in his arms. "Hello, little one, my name is Ryoma and I'm your big brother. It's nice to meet you. No matter what happens, I will always protect you and love you like a big brother should. You will always mean as much to all of us here as any blood relative. No matter what we face together or what tries to hurt us, I will never lose sight of what is most important; my-no- _our_ family. You'll never have to worry about anything, Corrin; I will make sure of it. It is my vow to you and I will do anything and everything to keep it."

A determined look set itself upon his face as he looked over the child in his arms, his resolve hardening. He had two sisters to protect and he would do so no matter what.

Even if it cost him everything.

* * *

Well...I hope you liked it. This particular Chapter was inspired by the song **'Two Hearts'** by **'The Birthday Massacre'**. This Chapter is a little slow but it's just supposed to be a little explanation about how Ryoma came to learn the truth about...certain things that the other siblings do not find out about. Please feel free to let me know what you think. Until next time. xXx


	2. An Unusual Comfort Blanket

Hello, welcome to Chapter Two of 'Reasons to Fight'. Why is this Chapter up so soon after Chapter One? Well, it's mainly because of the fact that I find the second Chapter the most difficult one to write and so I figured I'd get it out of the way. Also, like I said in the previous Chapter, I'm really excited about bringing you this story and so I'm actually really dedicated to writing it and I want to maximize on that excitement as much as possible by writing Chapters a lot quicker than I normally do. Not like I want my quality of writing to suffer as a result, so I'm also trying to be wary of that. But-argh! I already have quite a few Chapters worked out in my head and ideas for a potential sequel and...I'm getting ahead of myself aren't I? ...Yep.

Anyway, this is going to be nowhere near as long as my introduction to Chapter One but I just wanted to explain that there's been a time skip of approximately two years between the events in Chapter One and the events in this Chapter. I also want to take this chance to apologise as Corrin in this Chapter is now two-years-old which means that she now has some dialogue. As an English Language student, I have to learn about Child Language Acquisition for my exam so you'd think that I would actually have some idea as to how they speak and interact with others however, it has been established that I am terrible with Child Language Acquisition and thus, Corrin's dialogue may not be a realistic representation of how children speak and interact with others. Not that that's the only reason her dialogue is a bit...advanced for her age, it also has to do with me wanting to make her dialogue understandable for you lovely readers because I may have known what she was on about if I'd wrote it realistically but you might have not and obviously, it's more important for you to understand the story then it is for me as I already have the story in my head. I also don't know much about young children in general as I tend not to interact with them so if Corrin's behaviour is a bit...unusual for children of her age then I'm sorry, I tried to do as much research as possible but research isn't really the same as first-hand experience.

Some of you may be able to pick up on which Support Conversations inspired some of the stuff mentioned later on in this Chapter, but I'll explain more about that during my little closer to this Chapter at the bottom...

 ***Spoilers Warning*** Definite spoilers about the Avatar's actual relation to the Hoshidan royal family (hopefully people will know what that means and if they don't then that probably means they shouldn't read on). Also, spoilers about certain game events. There's also a slight reference to stuff featured in a certain line of Supports however, the conversations aren't actually mentioned and this story serves as a sort of context for those Supports. (This is really hard to explain without spoiling this Chapter, sorry!)

 **Disclaimer:** *I own nothing to do with 'Fire Emblem [Fates]', its locations, characters etc.*

 **Rated T**

* * *

 **Chapter Two: An Unusual Comfort Blanket**

The unsuspecting boy was still fast asleep in his bed when the intruder entered. Gaze sweeping over the young prince of Hoshido, taking in his features. The brown hair that was starting to become long and wild like that of his father's, splaying over the pillows as his youthful face- untroubled and relaxed- faced in the direction of his uninvited guest. A small giggle escaped from their lips before they could stop it and they quickly silenced themselves before they could alert the slumbering prince to their presence.

The figure crept ever closer to the bed and proceeded to sit upon the boy with as little pressure as they could whilst still trying to keep their giggles under control. The funny thing hadn't even happened yet! At this rate, it wouldn't happen at all if he woke up first.

The little trespasser sucked in a deep breath of air before unleashing it with a **'roar'**.

"Woah!" Ryoma jumped at the sudden sound and ended up rolling off of the bed, pulling the small figure off along with him. He landed on the wooden floor with a loud 'thump' and he was so disoriented that it took him a few moments to work out what had happened.

That was until he heard the fit of giggles coming from his youngest sister's mouth.

"Ugh…" He murmured, pulling himself up from under her and rubbing his now aching head with his hand. "Corrin! What was _that_ about?"

"I wanted to wake you up, big bro!" The little girl smiled at him, her bright red eyes shining with such happiness and pride.

It had been a couple of years since Mikoto had arrived at the palace with her little bundle of joy and since then much had changed. Mikoto was now living alongside Sumeragi and the children despite the fact that Ikona was still his wife and was even heavily pregnant with another child that was due to be born in the next couple of months. There didn't seem to be much tension between the two women and both of them loved Ryoma, Hinoka and Corrin with all of their beings. Meanwhile, away from the family, tensions between Hoshido and Nohr were beginning to rise. Whenever Ryoma asked his father about it, he claimed there was nothing to worry about and that the relationship between the two nations was always rocky at best so this was nothing new. It was meant as reassurance to the young boy however; as a result, Ryoma was still taking his combat training a lot more seriously than he had been.

He'd always displayed a natural talent with combat (especially when it came to sword fighting) amongst other things however, that didn't mean that he was about to neglect his training. Despite only being nine-years-old, Ryoma already felt a huge amount of responsibility for both his kingdom and his family especially since he'd made that promise to Corrin two years previously. He had a special relationship with his youngest sibling. He didn't entirely understand why however, he figured it had to something to do with that gentle innocence and naivety that she always seemed to display. He wasn't the only one who felt incredibility protective of her; both Hinoka and their father felt the same. But Ryoma was her big brother therefore he felt it was his duty to take her under his wing, nobody else's.

He laughed a little at her infectious excitement, "Well, you certainly managed to do just that, little one. However, couldn't you have just…I don't know, patted me gently on the shoulder or something?" He raised an eyebrow at her.

She pouted at him. "Bu-but, that's _not_ a fun way at all!"

"No, I suppose not. You're not normally awake this early, though. Is something wrong?"

The two-year-old opened her mouth as if she was about to speak but closed it again and grabbed at a strand of her hair as she shook her head at him.

He gently moved out from under her and proceeded to pick both himself and Corrin up off the floor. He held her in his arms, "What, are you sure?" he cooed gently into her ear.

She nodded at him before burying her face into the crook of his neck.

"Well…if you're sure, little one, but you know you can tell me later if you change your mind." He clutched her tightly to him for a couple more moments before speaking again. "I have to get dressed for the day so I'll see you in a little while, okay?"

"Okay, big bro!" She exclaimed as he set her down on the floor. He watched her as she ran from the room.

He chuckled to himself slightly before something occurred to him. He poked his head out of the room and spotted Corrin running down the corridor, "Oh, Corrin!"

She paused and looked back at him. "What is it, 'Oma?"

"I'll get you back for scaring me; you do know this, right?" He said playfully as he winked at her.

Instead of looking worried by his 'threat', she just laughed at him and replied with, "I'll be ready for it." before running off again.

Ryoma really did love that sister of his.

* * *

"Corrin, you're late for breakfast, silly!" Hinoka 'scolded' her sister as she approached the table.

"Sorry, sis. I woke up 'Oma." The young girl took her place next to her older sister and smiled at her daddy who was also already there.

Sumeragi pursed his lips, "You woke him, huh? It's not like Ryoma to sleep in, Corrin, that's normally your job."

Both Hinoka and Sumeragi laughed for a brief moment at the comment although, they both did it with a brief undertone of concern for the young girl. Corrin was already notorious for sleeping in. Despite her young age, as a royal she already had certain boundaries imposed upon her such as specific times to awaken and to eat. Sometimes though, she could get around these rules even if she didn't intend to which was lucky for her since she wasn't exactly okay with having to wake up at a certain time.

The young girl looked down at her food rather than at the two people watching her intently until light footsteps announced the presence of her big brother.

"Ryoma, Corrin was just telling us that she woke you up." Hinoka smiled at her brother, gently. Unlike Corrin, Hinoka was a rather quiet and subdued person who was often content to follow along with her sister's plans rather than come up with them herself. She also cried a lot, another trait which Corrin didn't share with her elder sister. In fact, due to how busy Ryoma was most of the time, the responsibility of cheering Hinoka up often fell upon the shoulders of the young tot, not like it took much effort after all, Hinoka was besotted with her sister and- just like Ryoma, she always had been.

Ryoma was rubbing the side of his head still; he must have had a more painful landing than he'd previously thought. "Huh? Yeah, she did. Well…actually, it was more of a case of her 'roaring' in my face and causing me to launch off of the bed however, if you count that as a wake-up call then she did."

Both Sumeragi's and Hinoka's eyes widened at this story as they both looked from Ryoma to Corrin. Corrin herself just grinned knowingly back at them over the top of the cup she was currently drinking juice out off. Her eyes dancing with mischief, watched them as they pieced the mental image together.

Hinoka was the first to burst out laughing and Sumeragi joined her with a slight chuckle. Ryoma scowled back at the two of them. Apparently, he didn't appreciate taking on the role of court jester for the day.

He took his place at the table directly opposite Hinoka. Neither Ikona or Mikoto were here but they tended not to dine with the rest of the family since Corrin didn't really know Ikona all that well despite the fact that the woman accepted the child just as much as anyone else had done and Hinoka was having difficulties warming up to Mikoto despite her close relationship with Corrin.

"Yeah, yeah, get it all out of your systems."

Hinoka wiped a tear out of her eye, amusement still glittering in them. "Sorry, sorry, it's just…if anybody else had done that to you, there's no way you would have taken it with a pinch of salt. Even if _I_ had done it, I'd probably have gotten more of a scolding than her even if you still didn't put all of your heart and soul into it. She has you wrapped around her little finger." Hinoka stated, moving her own little finger in a circle as a demonstration.

"Yeah, well the same could be said about _you_ , you let her get away with things that you wouldn't let anyone else get away with either. Why just the other week, you let her convince you to go outside to play when it was raining. She tried to talk you into it but you kept on saying no then she gave you the puppy dog eyes and all of a sudden, you agree to prance around and splash about in knee-deep puddles with her. You both had colds **for a week** and you're both still young enough for that to be a problem!" Ryoma shot back. He could never truly be annoyed with his younger siblings; it was more of a case of him trying to work things out. Corrin was really good at getting people to rally around her and to agree to her plans and she was _only_ two! Maybe Ryoma wasn't the only one with natural talents and gifts…

Sumeragi interrupted their small 'disagreement' with a slight cough, "Come to think of it, the majority of people seem to give into her whims or they let her do stuff that nobody else could do but I don't actually think she intends for that to happen, it just does. Corrin is extremely innocent and is still too young to be that aware of how her presence affects people."

They all looked towards the young girl who seemed to be ignoring their conversation about her entirely. She was making little noises and seemed to be lost in her own little world with her head titled slightly to one side.

All three of the other people around the table found themselves tilting their heads in the same direction that Corrin's was in. Maybe they were hoping to spot whatever it was that she was looking so intently at?

Sumeragi looked between his two eldest children; realising that yet again Corrin was influencing their behaviour before moving his gaze back to Corrin and saying with a slight trace of humour in his voice, "That said, we should keep a _very_ close eye on her, she's a lot more influential than she first appears."

* * *

Time passed by in a blur for the young prince, his day was filled to the brim with training and lessons leaving little time for breaks or rest. It was now incredibly late at night and most of the people in the palace were already asleep however, he was still up training and practising his sword techniques. Sweat was pouring from the nine-year-old's forehead but he still didn't stop. He needed to become stronger! He had to live up to his father's expectations and be able to bear the weight of Hoshido's burdens after all; it would be his responsibility to one day.

Ryoma decided to attempt a really difficult sword technique that his father had tried to teach him earlier that day. He'd been trying to get the hang of it for the best part of three hours but despite his best efforts and natural skill, he still couldn't seem to grasp it. The movements had been so graceful when his father had demonstrated the move to him earlier! Despite being able to mimic the form of the movement perfectly, there was no substance or force behind it. In a real battle, if Ryoma tried to attempt the move, it would be lazy and lack power and conviction; leaving him exposed for a brief amount of time as he tried to recover from it.

The young boy cried out as his anger and frustration got the better of him for a moment causing him to hit the training dummy a little harder than he intended. He was breathing hard and decided to take a short break. He fell to the floor as he tried to catch his breath wiping a hand over his forehead and closing his eyes tightly to block out the light.

"Big bro?" His head snapped in the direction of the voice to see Corrin stood there, rubbing her tired eyes as she gazed at him questioningly.

"I'm sorry, Corrin, did I wake you up?"

She shook her head which caused the young boy to feel a great deal of alarm for his younger sister's well-being.

"No, I was 'ready awake."

Ryoma watched her in silence for a moment; his lips pursed. "Corrin, what's wrong?"

She met his gaze, her eyes widening. "I-"- She hesitated and tears began to flow freely from her eyes. Ryoma started to walk over to her however, the young girl backed up a couple of steps. He ignored this completely and wrapped his arms around the young girl anyway; holding her as she shook.

"Tell me." He murmured.

"I keep having bad dreams."

His eyebrow rose at that and he pulled back to look at her, "Bad dreams?"

She nodded. "Yeah, about Daddy getting hurt and there's a scary man there- he wants to take me 'way. He's bad 'cause he hurts Daddy." Not because he wants to take her away? How strange…

Ryoma shushed her gently, his hand smoothing over her hair. "You don't have to worry, little one, Daddy is strong enough to take care of himself and besides, I won't let _anyone_ take you away from us; you can count on it."

Corrin looked unconvinced and her lower lip began to tremble.

Ryoma sighed, trying to think of how to make things okay, "Do you want to sleep in my room tonight? It may help to keep the nightmares away."

She shook her head. "I tried to sleep in 'Oka's room but I couldn't wake her up. Our tea party must have made her tired."

He chuckled a little at the thought of Hinoka attending a tea party. He was about to speak up but Corrin interrupted, "Can I watch you train?"

Watch him train? What?! "Err…I was actually thinking of going to sleep myself, Corrin…" The prince tried to stand up but Corrin clutched him tighter.

"Please! I don't want to sleep yet! Big bro, _please!_ " Her eyes pleaded with him as the young boy deliberated for a moment.

"Okay, _okay_ , but only for a little while, all right? Then you have to try to sleep again. Promise?"

Her eyes brightened and she nodded enthusiastically.

Corrin sat in a corner of the training hall and watched as her big bro practised his sword swings. He was really talented; maybe even more so than their father but Corrin couldn't be completely sure. She watched him in silence for a little bit and got the sudden urge to try to copy his movements.

"Ha! Hy-yah!" Admittedly, she was just being silly but even so, Ryoma turned to look at her and laughed an easy smile passing over his face as he returned to his training.

Corrin sat back down to watch him in silence again and after a little bit more time had passed, she found herself feeling sleepy. For the last few weeks, the young girl had dreaded feeling like that because it meant she would have to close her eyes and see that nightmare again…and yet, when she watched her big bro train, she realised that she was the safest little girl in the _whole wide world!_ Nothing could ever hurt her when her big bro was around especially if he could apply his skills to a real life situation. Between her daddy and her bro, she would always be in capable hands; nothing would ever hurt her, not ever! With those lulling thoughts swimming around in her mind, she found her eyes fluttering shut. Eventually, she fell into a deep slumber and for the first time in a while, not a single nightmare plagued her as she slept.

* * *

Ryoma trained for a little while longer, not having realised that his little observer had fallen asleep to the sounds of his training. After a while, the young boy looked back at her to gauge her reaction only to realise that she was out for the count. The young boy heaved a sigh as he watched her, tiredness washing over him. He was done for now- he decided- nevertheless, he looked back at the training dummy once more. He pictured the situation his sister had been having recurring nightmares about…

 _"Yeah, about Daddy getting hurt and there's a scary man there- he wants to take me 'way. He's bad 'cause he hurts Daddy."…_

If that ever happened- not like he ever would let it happen but if it did- then he might need that move…the one he had been struggling with. His resolve hardened as he perfected his stance. He closed his eyes, breathing in deeply picturing the move in his head, his focus dedicated to the task at hand.

 _There may come a day when he would have to protect his sister. There may come a day when a bad man decides to hurt his family. There may come a day when he is the last line of defence between a horde of invaders and the honour of Hoshido. There may come a day when he has to sacrifice himself to bring peace to all…_

The young boy's resolution now clear in his mind; he allowed his eyes to snap open to focus on his target and he darted forward, he attempted the movement that had been giving him trouble.

He managed it in one shot.

* * *

So...I hope this was okay. I figured that Corrin may have nightmares about what happens to her father and to her as she has that little premonition thing about the choice she has to make during 'Fates' itself. I also figured that it would explain some of Ryoma's agony and guilt over her kidnapping if he knew that she'd had those sorts of fears and worries in the past and he was the only one that was aware of such things and he'd vowed to not let anything like that actually happen to her. I also hinted at some of that jealousy Ryoma says he felt about Corrin's natural leadership skills and there's definitely more of that to come in later Chapters. Also, did you like my reference to Xander's Supports with Corrin? I figured that old habits die hard and so it'd be rather cute if Corrin took comfort from Ryoma training in the same way she would then go on to take comfort from Xander training. As you may have gathered, this story focuses for the most part on Corrin's relationship with Ryoma however, that's mainly to do with the fact that he's the eldest sibling and so he's the easiest one to write from the point of view of. However, the other siblings are still going to be featured (as you can see with Hinoka being in this Chapter) so...yeah. There isn't really a song that inspired this Chapter however **'Goodnight'** by **Evanescence** and **'Asleep'** by **Emilie Autumn** stand out as inspiring portions of this Chapter. Until next time. xXx


	3. A Brief First Meeting

Ugh...my head hurts after writing this and I'll explain why in a minute. But first: ***Spoilers Warning*** Definite spoilers about the Avatar's actual relation to the Hoshidan royal family (hopefully people will know what that means and if they don't then that probably means they shouldn't read on). Also, spoilers about certain game events. **Also there are spoilers in my explanation about this Chapter and about the game which is why the spoiler warning is here so please be careful.**

...Did you read the paragraph above? Good, let's get on then. So this is set just a couple of months after the events in Chapter Two. Takumi has now been born but the other characters are still at the same ages as they were in that Chapter. Okay? Okay. I was thinking about something Ryoma says when you first meet him. Something about how there wasn't a full-blown war between Nohr and Hoshido until the events in Cheve occurred. Knowing this, I thought it'd be cool to write a story explaining some of that underlying tension. However, this created its own set of problems. First of all, this Chapter wouldn't work if the magic barrier that Mikoto creates is already in place so I tried to find out if there was any indication as to when that was created but I couldn't find any so I figured that there would be no reason to have that barrier before a war broke out or at least, if _I_ was trying to ease tensions between two nations; I wouldn't go around assuming that anyone from that rivalling nation is out to cause trouble. If there was a reason for that level of caution-like a war-then I figured that that would make sense. Whilst meeting in Cheve would mean that a peace conference would take place outside of both Hoshido and Nohr and isn't the result of the magical-barrier being a thing which means there's still no reason for the magical-barrier to exist yet. Secondly, King Garon meets Corrin in this Chapter which wouldn't be a problem if it wasn't for the fact that I read somewhere that Corrin never meets the 'real' Garon and only meets the version of himself that's all evil and stuff and so I tried to place it so that King Garon is still somewhat sane however, he is still- for the most part- possessed, that way the story could work whilst also meeting the criteria for Corrin's first encounter with Garon. Then I wondered if people would think that I was taking too many liberties with this Chapter and that it was too based on my personal opinion about events in the game rather than facts but there's very little I can do about that. I really want to stick as close to 'Fates' as possible however, it's probably been established that the majority of this story is set before the events in 'Fates' or around the time of Corrin's kidnap and the aftermath of that (none of which is really explained for Hoshido) and so it's really hard to stick to something when all it really does is explain things that take place in the future when it comes to this story. My final problem came with how to portray King Garon I mean, by the time he's featured in this Chapter he's, like I said, evil and stuff, but I really didn't want to turn him into a complete shadow of himself this early on as I personally don't believe that he becomes a pawn fully until shortly before the events in Cheve but this-yet again- brings up the personal interpretation stuff and-argh!

*Sighs* When I started writing this Chapter, I really didn't think it'd bring up this many problems for me. I thought it'd be a cute little first exchange between Corrin and one of the Nohrian siblings whilst also hinting at the Hoshido/Nohr tension. So...I'm basically saying that I apologise in advance if this story really doesn't fit into the 'Fates' timeline, I really did try my hardest to make it fit or to see if was possible but...there's so little to go on. I just have to hope that you'll like the Chapter regardless and that the next Chapter won't cause me quite as many problems.

 **Disclaimer:** *I own nothing to do with 'Fire Emblem [Fates]', its locations, characters etc.*

 **Rated T**

* * *

 **Chapter Three: A Brief First Meeting**

"So…we have no choice but to attend this party, right?" Hinoka asked Ryoma for what seemed like the hundredth time that day alone as she placed down the heavy boxes filled to the brim with decorations, trinkets and other bits and bobs that were required for the party later that evening.

"Apparently." He said with a sigh as he placed down his own set of boxes next to Hinoka's, wiping a hand over his forehead. She looked at him, eyebrows raised at his obvious exhaustion. Granted, his were a lot heavier than the ones she was carrying due to her only being four but they still felt pretty hefty to her! The nine-year-old boy shrugged his shoulders at her.

"Hey! I've been busy helping to prepare for this thing _all week_! Combine that with lessons, combat training and helping to look after you, Corrin and baby Takumi and I've basically spent the whole week on my feet with little time to rest in-between tasks."

"Heh, that's true enough." Hinoka marvelled at her big brother's dedication, he'd already become such a diligent worker in comparison to her; normally taking everything in his stride without complaint however, at this moment in time it was rather clear that exhaustion was getting to him and the prospect of a party later this evening wasn't helping.

Ryoma doesn't like parties.

It wasn't a tradition in Hoshido to be throwing this event, making it different from the banquet that they held. No, in fact, the party had been Sumeragi's idea. In an attempt to smooth things out with Nohr, it had been arranged so that a small group of Nohrians- which would consist of King Garon and whoever else he would decide to bring- would come over. Basically, it was peace talks disguised as an informal gathering.

Hinoka and Ryoma, as well as Yukimura and Mikoto had voiced their doubts however; this was very much a last ditch effort on Sumeragi's part to find some sort of common ground with Nohr. Also- as Sumeragi had pointed out- there was a limit on how many of them could actually attend this event in the same way that there would be a limit on how many Hoshidians could attend.

Ryoma and Hinoka were the only two of the royal children given permission to attend. Both children had no idea who else was supposed to be present from either Hoshido or Nohr, not like it mattered much to them. The unease they felt about this whole thing was consuming any other feelings they may have had about other aspects of the event.

Still, it was only supposed to last for a couple of hours at best; they just had to hope nothing would kick off in such a small amount of time.

It was unknown to them why they'd been asked to attend in the first place as their father had kept them in the dark about his reasons, but they trusted his judgement in the same way that everyone else did.

"Hey, Ryoma? What's going to happen if this all goes wrong?"

His eyebrows pulled together in thought, "I don't know, sister, I really don't. Still, we have to believe that it _won't_ go wrong, that King Garon and Nohr desire to find peace and stability in its relationship with us in the same way that we want to find it in our relationship with them."

"I suppose…"

"What you doing?"

The light female voice made both of them jump as they turned to face their younger sister. She was still in her night clothes despite the fact that she should have been up and dressed hours ago.

"Corrin,"- Ryoma sighed- "We were just ah-"

"We were just um…" Hinoka looked around thoughtfully for inspiration. Corrin wasn't supposed to know about the party! Their father had made that absolutely clear to both Ryoma and herself. If Corrin found out about it and then found out about the dangers involved, then she'd get upset and may even insist on being there. It was practically impossible for anyone to turn down the two-year-old and if they dared to, then they were either very brave or very stupid. Corrin didn't often cause trouble but when it came to keeping people safe and being denied the opportunity to do so; then she would lose control of her temper.

Corrin was scary when she lost control of her temper.

It was then Hinoka noticed that some of the piles of boxes were rather tall and so she turned around to Corrin and said, "We were just holding a competition to see who could build the tallest tower out of boxes, as you can see Ryoma won…unfortunately." She pouted at her brother; her eyes full of accusation.

He held his hands up making himself appear innocent, "Hey! I told you that I wasn't going to go easy on you just because you're small."

"You could have given me a bit of leeway after all, I am your sister."

"But I'll be robbing you of that thrilling moment when you beat me at something for real for the very first time."

They both looked at their sister to see if she'd bought into their act and by the looks of things, Corrin was very unconvinced by their spectacle. Still, she shrugged her shoulders and wandered off. Both of her elder siblings heaved a sigh of relief before returning to the task at hand.

* * *

Corrin was confused. For the majority of the day, the castle was brimming with activity and people and yet, the only one really paying her any attention was her mother. Her father had also been around to see to the two-year-old's well-being at certain points during the day and yet, regardless of this fact, Corrin still found herself feeling rather left out.

Bored and cranky, the young tot decided to go and visit her newly born baby brother, Takumi. The babe was fast asleep when she entered his room and so she just sat down next to him in silence for a while as she needed an escape from all of the noise outside of the small confine.

Even her big brother and her big sister didn't have time for her. It felt really unfair to the little girl that they would keep her out of the loop. Okay, so they'd told her what they were doing (apparently) but they still hadn't asked her to join in or anything.

Despite the recent birth of her younger brother, Corrin still got a lot of attention from people in the castle, be it that of her siblings or parents and sometimes she got it from Yukimura; a man who served her parents. So that couldn't possibly be the reason behind everyone ignoring her today. So what could it _be?_

"Corrin, sweetie, I wondered where you had gone." Mikoto came into the room and picked up the young tot who stretched her arms towards the worried woman. "It's time for you to go to bed, little one."

"But Mummy, I'm _not_ sleepy!"

"Really, Corrin?! How unusual for you, regardless you're already up way past your usual bedtime thanks to you wandering off like that." Her mother grabbed her nose affectionately which made the little girl giggle slightly before walking towards Corrin's room.

The party was due to start soon and Mikoto's discomfort was only continuing to grow still, she smiled lovingly at her daughter as she carried her into her room, hoping that she couldn't hear the sounds of the guests as they began to arrive.

* * *

Corrin couldn't sleep.

After what seemed like an eternity to her, the girl's mother had finally left her believing the tot to be out for the count however, she'd only pretended to be asleep as she was determined to solve the mystery of what people were hiding from her.

She tip-toed quietly to the door and placed her ear against it. Her hearing had always been really good. _Probably something to do with the shape of them_ , she thought to herself. She strained as hard as she could to hear something- _anything_ that would give her a clue but all she could hear were a few rather loud voices; words all blending together so she couldn't piece together whatever was being said.

Plucking up the courage, Corrin opened the bedroom door and started to make her way toward the sounds. Walking as silently as she could down the stairs, she approached a huge hall that contained rather a lot of people.

She recognised a few of them as friends of her father and of her mother. Nevertheless, the majority of them were but mere strangers to her. Some of them were drinking whilst others were talking or dancing. They all looked to be having fun- even if there was an undertone of tension in the room. Corrin wanted to go in there to find her big bro or her mother or just _someone_ who she was comfortable being around however, she was smart enough to recognise that she wasn't supposed to be there and that if she was spotted, she would be in huge trouble.

 _Okay_ \- she thought to herself- _I've worked out what was being kept from me, now just to creep back up to my room._ She started to back up ever so slowly. Suddenly, her back made contact with something hard behind her.

She gasped as she turned around and spotted a blonde-haired boy behind her. His expression was serious as he took in the form of the young girl in the same way that she was taking in his. He looked to be about Ryoma's age if not a little bit older and taller however, unlike Ryoma who would often look at the young girl with kindness in his gaze, the boy in front of her looked at her with a troubled glance; seemingly suggesting that he had a multitude of burdens to carry upon his shoulders and that nothing in the world could ease them.

He also looked rather uncomfortable. Was he _shy?_

"Erm…he-hello, my name is Corrin…what's yours?"

The young boy gazed at her for a moment and Corrin assumed that he wasn't going to reply. Just then a set of rather loud footsteps approached Corrin from behind. The stranger grabbed her and pulled her against the wall so that she was no longer in the path of the person trying to leave the room.

When the adult was no longer in sight, the boy turned back to face her and said, "My name is Xander I am a prince from Nohr." His tone was direct, matter-of-fact and yet, despite this, he was rubbing his wrist like it was a distraction or a nervous habit of his. "You don't look like you're supposed to be here. Considering your age, shouldn't you be in bed?"

She shifted her gaze from his face as she replied, "Maybe…"

He laughed at that. "You wear your heart on your sleeve, Corrin."

"You're a prince and I'm a princess! But I don't know what a _'Nohr'_ is." The girl tried to change the topic in order to distract him from the blush rising in her cheeks.

Xander's eyes widened at the young girl's sudden outburst before he found himself smiling at her excitement and innocence. "Are you now? You're rather tiny, aren't you? 'Nohr' is my home just like this place- Hoshido- is, I'm presuming, _yours_. Listen, I would love to chat with you some more however, if you stick around much longer, you might get caught."

Corrin's smile turned into a pout as she remembered that she was supposed to be sneaking back to her room.

Xander smiled at her warmly; all traces of his former shyness vanished. "Well then, little princess, it's been nice meeting you however I think it's time for you to-"

He was cut off by the sound of somebody clearing their throat behind him. Xander turned to face the Hoshidian prince that he'd met earlier that evening. The boy's lips were in a tight line and his arms were folded across his chest as he turned to look at Corrin.

"You shouldn't be _here_ , Corrin!"

Instead of looking guilty or appearing anxious about getting caught, Corrin beamed up at her big bro. "I know, but I heard voices so I came to see who was here. I was going back to my room but then I met Xandy and Xandy was really nice to me!"

Both of the princes seemed bemused by the girl's explanation. After taking a moment to recover, Ryoma said, "Well, if you go back up to your room _right now_ then I suppose I can let it slide just this one time. But you have to go back up right this second, okay?"

"Okay."

She waved goodbye to Xander before starting the trek back up to her own room. When Ryoma was certain that she was heading towards her room, he turned to the young prince of Nohr who-now that Corrin had left- seemed to be rather uncomfortable yet again. "So…Xandy, huh? You should be honoured that she gave you a cutesy nickname like that."

The boy shrugged and cast his gaze downwards. "I'm sure it's just because she can't pronounce my name properly still, she does possess a rather...bubbly personality, and it's quite a contrast to my own."

Ryoma chuckled at Xander's comment; both of them were rather serious despite their young ages. It had been established that Xander was older then Ryoma, being ten-years-old compared to Ryoma's nine but unlike Ryoma, he seemed to be a rather shy, retiring soul whilst Ryoma was more outgoing and charismatic. Regardless, it appeared like both of them would rather be _anywhere_ else than at _this_ event.

The air between them became awkward. Ryoma opened his mouth to speak when he suddenly heard a girlish yelp coming from behind him.

Both Xander and Ryoma turned around and found themselves facing a tall man holding a young girl up by her night clothes as she struggled to free herself. Ryoma recognised the girl instantly as Corrin whilst Xander recognised the man instantly as his father, King Garon of Nohr.

"Put me _down!_ " The little girl struggled against the man's strong grip and blushed furiously out of both anger and embarrassment at having her big brother see her like this. She _had_ gone up to her room. _She had!_ But then the man had walked out in front of her and picked her up, when she'd tried to get away, he just grabbed her by her clothing instead and carried her back down the stairs like she was a sack of potatoes.

Corrin wasn't impressed.

"Fa-father, what are you doing?! This is supposed to be a _peaceful_ gathering." Xander was incredulous. Over the years, his father's behaviour had become more and more unpredictable. He would sometimes do strange things like this and Xander didn't entirely understand why but deep down, he knew his father was still a good man for the most part.

His father had agreed to attend this thing because as he'd put it, "The petty feud between the two kingdoms- both mine and Sumeragi's- has gone on for long enough." His eyes were full of regret, remorse and grief; there was no sign of the bitter, twisted man that stood before Xander and the Hoshidian prince now.

Ryoma snarled, "Let go of my sister!"

"Yeah, let go of me." Corrin huffed, her arms crossed over her chest, mimicking her big brother's earlier pose.

But King Garon just chuckled and walked past the two boys towards to main hall; Corrin still firmly in his grip. Both Xander and Ryoma looked at each other in surprise, "Looks like they're about to find out that your sister hasn't been tucked up nice and safe in her bed this whole time." Xander muttered nervously, his own embarrassment contributing to his poor attempt at humour.

Ryoma made a disgusted noise and started in the direction of the main hall with Xander close on his heels.

"Put my daughter down this _instant_!"

The princes froze at the sound of Sumeragi's voice, rage lacing his tone. The room was deadly silent as Sumeragi shouted at the Nohrian king.

"Corrin!" Both Mikoto and Hinoka shouted in unison; breaking the tense silence.

"Not another step! Surely you should be thanking me, I found this little trouble maker wandering the halls and by the looks of things, she should've been asleep hours ago; such poor parenting on your part, Sumeragi." Garon sneered.

Before Sumeragi could reply, a young female voice spoke up. "Father, please, _stop this_. Let's just take our leave peacefully for the moment and discuss the situation another time." Ryoma didn't recognise the female voice but the _'Father'_ thing had caught his attention, he'd only been introduced to Xander, not to another Nohrian royal.

"Silence, child or have you forgotten your place?!"

Ryoma and Xander entered the room then. Garon was stood in front of them facing Sumeragi and Mikoto. All of the other guests were like statues, assessing the situation whilst remaining completely silent.

"Father, this isn't in Nohr's best interests, if your intentions were just to get her in trouble then you've probably managed it but let's just go before this gets anymore out of hand." Xander hated to put Corrin on the chopping block but if it helped to put an end to this dreadful situation then he would do it.

King Garon looked to be coming back to his senses. It was a strange shift from cruel fiend to the kind ruler and father that Xander knew.

Sumeragi spoke up, "May I remind you that you are in Hoshido, the amount of people with me right now greatly outnumbers the ones with _you_. Whilst the guest list was limited, there are still other people around who weren't supposed to be involved with this event but they will be if you continue to make a scene!" Sumeragi hid his fear for his daughter's well-being as well as he could.

"Father!" Xander, shouted incredulously.

The man winced at that, a hand shooting to his forehead like he was in pain. He placed the young girl down on the floor and took a step back. It looked like he was having a war within himself.

Ryoma reached out to grab his sister and she wrapped her arms tightly around him. She didn't look afraid or hurt- which was good to know. Ryoma held her close shooting a warning glare at the Nohrians.

A young, purple-haired girl walked up to King Garon and pulled him away from the hall and the few other Nohrian guests were close on their heels.

Xander moved in close to Corrin for a moment, meeting Ryoma's eyes to check that it was okay, despite holding her a little tighter, Ryoma didn't seem to object. "I'm sorry, little princess." He murmured before following the group and closing the doors behind him.

* * *

After a while, it was confirmed that they'd left Hoshido without causing further trouble; although, Corrin herself was in _a lot_ of trouble. She'd apologised to both her mother and father however, for the most part everyone was just glad that she was okay.

"But by the looks of things,"-her father had said, remorse in his tone-"The tensions between Nohr and Hoshido are greater than ever."

She was now up in her room in her bed, looking out of the window. It was raining lightly and it was still very dark outside. Corrin sighed and her thoughts went back to Xander. She wondered if he was okay and she also wondered if she would ever see him again and if she did, under what circumstances they would meet.

* * *

Well...I really do hope that the story was fine as I am quite proud of this Chapter regardless of how plausible it is. In the same way that Corrin forgets her Hoshidan family, this little memory of meeting Xander and King Garon for the first time also goes missing from Corrin's mind. Anyway, I'm not sure when the next Chapter will be up as I've wrote three of them in the last few days! However, I really don't want to say I'm taking a short break and then for it to last months or whatever because the inspiration for this story is constantly flowing at the moment and I'd hate not to make the most of that. Regardless of that fact, it will probably be at least a few more days until a new Chapter is up due to the fact I have exams. It may take longer for a new one to be posted, or it may be up tomorrow. Who knows with me? (Okay, maybe not tomorrow but still...) *ahem* Until next time. xXx


	4. A Thorn amongst the Roses

Hello! First of all, I'd like to thank every single one of you awesome readers. You're all so fantastic and I'm glad that you take time out of your no doubt busy schedules to read this story or any of my other stories (if you do) so thank you so much for that.

Now, there has been another year time skip between the last Chapter and this one. Corrin is now three, Ryoma is ten, Hinoka is five and Takumi is just about to turn one.

I want to explain this Chapter. I'd already pretty much planned out what this Chapter was going to be about before I'd even finished typing up the last Chapter however, between that Chapter and this one, I got in contact with someone who has read this story (MammonDaughter) through a PM and they wanted me to focus a bit more on the parents and their feelings. It was sort of odd, really, as I too wanted to focus more upon them as well and so to have someone else say it was something they'd like to see was basically a confirmation that it should be included. However, no matter how hard I tried to think of something to write about, my mind came up blank. Doesn't seem like a problem, right? After all, I'd already decided what Chapter Four was going to be about. Well...I'd thought so too but my brain decided that the Chapter focusing on the parents more should come _before_ my initial idea (yeah...thanks brain). I was very worried to begin with, my other stories really need updating as they haven't been updated in a while and like I've said, I want to make the most of the constantly flowing inspiration for this story as I love writing it but-to my horror- it seemed like my brain had reached a stand still with it. So, I just started to type up _something_ in the hope an idea would come and then...the burst of inspiration struck, my initial idea for Chapter Four was actually a really good idea to bring the parents into the story more. So, I basically combined the two and this is the end result.

Towards the end, this Chapter made me really emotional so hopefully that means something. The only thing that made me reluctant to combine the two ideas is that there really aren't that many Chapters left until Corrin gets kidnapped and taken to Nohr and I was hoping to prolong the inevitable for as long as possible but alas, Corrin's time in Hoshido really _is_ short but luckily (for me at least), the story doesn't end there and it really only makes the story one or two Chapters shorter. Also, if I've got anything wrong, please let me know as I haven't finished 'Revelation' yet and, luckily for you, I don't mind spoilers. I shouldn't have gotten anything wrong as I have done my research but it's still better to be safe than sorry. So...I hope that I've delivered on what was requested of me and I hope you all like the result.

 ***Spoilers Warning*** Definite spoilers about the Avatar's actual relation to the Hoshidan royal family (hopefully people will know what that means and if they don't then that probably means they shouldn't read on). Also, spoilers about certain game events.

*I own nothing to do with 'Fire Emblem [Fates]', its locations, characters etc.*

 **Rated T (Also mild violence in this Chapter so be warned.)**

* * *

 **Chapter Four: A Thorn amongst the Roses**

"Corrin, how are you feeling, sweetie? Are you okay?"

The woman rushed into the room and as soon as her eyes came to rest upon the three-year-old, she felt relief at seeing her beautiful red eyes and pale hair. The young girl looked rather awkward and exasperated as she met the questioning gaze of the woman.

"I'm fine, Mummy. It's just a little scratch, that's _all_." Corrin had been getting worried glances from everyone in the castle the moment Hinoka came rushing in with tears streaming down her face as she carried an incredibly mortified Corrin whilst looking for help. Corrin's knee had a gash that was oozing blood but in all honesty, she felt completely fine and assumed that it looked a lot worse than it was which turned out to be the case.

She really didn't know what to do with her big sister sometimes.

"I'm sorry I overreacted." Hinoka murmured rather sheepishly, her cheeks going the same colour as her vibrant hair.

"Oh! I'm so glad you're all right Corrin and you as well, Hinoka."- Both Mikoto and Corrin glanced at the girl but she just turned her head away and crossed her arms over her chest. Mikoto looked pained by the action whilst Corrin's eyebrows pulled together in confusion. Why was there always so much tension between them? - "So…what happened."

"We were running around in the castle gardens-"

Mikoto gasped. "The castle gardens; don't you normally play out around the town plaza?"

Hinoka shrugged. "Corrin wanted to play in the castle gardens today."

Corrin frowned in disapproval at being interrupted before saying. "Anyway, like I was _saying_ , we were running around in the castle gardens and I tripped over a rock and went tumbling."

"It was a large rock, too, don't downplay it, Corrin!" Hinoka scolded.

Corrin shrugged. "Eh, even if it'd been a small rock, I still wasn't badly injured by it now, was _I_?"

Hinoka had just opened her mouth to reply when a male voice boomed out around them. "Corrin, are you all right? Please, tell me you're all right."

All three of the females looked towards the doorway just in time to see Sumeragi burst in with Ryoma right on his heels. Ryoma was carrying Takumi (who was by this point nearly a year old) in his arms and his face mimicked the worried expression on his father's although he also looked a bit surprised by his dad's sudden outburst.

Corrin heaved a sigh, "I'm fine, Daddy, it wasn't _that_ bad. Hinoka just made it seem worse than it actually was." The young girl closed her eyes, wishing that everyone would just turn their attention to something else. She really couldn't deal with this level of concern for her well-being.

"Oh, thank goodness! Ryoma and I rushed back here as soon as we heard that you'd been injured."

The young girl hopped down from the bed and winced a little in pain before smiling up at them all, "I'm fine, _really!_ I'm going to go and play now."

She walked out of the room without glancing back at the other occupants. All of them looked rather surprised by her indifference and grumpy mood. She was normally always smiling and laughing at something or other so to see her brush off their concerns so casually was…disturbing.

Ryoma shrugged, "I'll go and have a word with her. Here you go, Father." He passed baby Takumi to his father before following Corrin.

Takumi yawned and his father noticed his exhaustion. "I'll go and take him to have a nap."

Once Sumeragi had left the room, only Mikoto and Hinoka remained. "I'm sure that Corrin will be all rig-"

Mikoto had reached out to the five-year-old meaning to touch her arm gently as reassurance but Hinoka cringed away from the woman. "Don't touch _me!_ I know that Corrin will be okay, I don't need _you_ to tell me. I am her big sister, I know her just as well as you do, if not better so leave me alone!" Hinoka stormed from the room.

Mikoto sighed and closed her eyes. Hinoka was under the impression that Sumeragi was Corrin's biological father whilst Mikoto was her biological mother. This caused a burning ball of hatred to form within the young girl as her mother by blood- Ikona- was still alive and well and whilst she loved Corrin with all of her heart, she just couldn't bring herself to warm up to Mikoto in the same way. Mikoto knew this and yet she still tried in vain to get the girl to like her. She never wanted to replace Ikona as her mother but she did want to be accepted as someone she could turn to if there was no one else around at the very least.

Ryoma, on the other hand, was very warm and welcoming towards the woman despite their lack of a blood connection. Maybe it was because he was the only sibling to know the truth about Corrin and her relation to the Hoshidan royals or maybe it was just because he could see that Mikoto wasn't trying to impose or trying to replace Ikona. He would even call her mother on occasion but not when he was around Hinoka.

Mikoto was worried about her daughter. There were many secrets that she kept from the apple of her eye but only because she had no choice but to. She just hoped that no matter what the future held for her young daughter, she would always be happy with her choices and never come to regret whichever path she would choose to walk.

* * *

"This one looks so yummy! Can I try it?"

Ryoma passed some gold to the stall merchant and passed the food to his youngest sister whilst also warning her that it may be too hot to eat instantly. It was now the afternoon and after he'd managed to track down Corrin after she'd stormed off, he'd managed to get her to smile by suggesting that himself, Corrin and Hinoka took a trip out around the town and the market stalls. They had even planned to bring Takumi with them but he'd still been asleep at the time and so- after clearing it with their father- the three had set off out and had spent a good hour and a half looking around the market stalls.

The town was bustling with activity and whilst the three of them weren't dressed in their usual attire in order to blend in more, every once in a while someone would recognise them and extend a greeting. Ryoma was often the one who would respond to them as he'd had more experience dealing with the public than his two younger siblings however; they'd still try their best when presented with the opportunity to do so.

"Don't you two get recognised around town when you're playing out?" Ryoma directed the question at Hinoka.

"Sometimes but not often which is _really_ strange since we've had at least twenty people recognise us in the past ten minutes alone! You must stand out to them, brother." Hinoka replied, smiling ruefully at him.

"Ugh… _maybe_ , I wouldn't be surprised. Father is teaching me all of the duties of a prince including dealing with the townsfolk. Not like I mind, it's interesting hearing their takes on certain things and of course, it's always important to remember what it is that you're fighting to protect."

Hinoka noticed the troubled expression on her brother's face when he said that. Shortly after Ryoma's tenth birthday, Sumeragi had started to take Ryoma with him to battles. They were often the less dangerous battles, dealing with thieves and other small nuisances that weren't as experienced as say- soldiers from Nohr. But they still presented their own dangers and risks. Ryoma wouldn't talk about them with his siblings or with anyone else, really; not even his newly hired retainer.

Hinoka turned to look at another stall display and Ryoma looked around himself thinking that Corrin had been awfully quiet for the last few minutes and he did a double take when he realised that she was nowhere to be seen. He turned around to see if he could spot her in the crowd but she still wasn't anywhere in sight. "Err…Hinoka, where's Corrin?"

"Hmm, Corrin? Why she's just there." Hinoka looked away from the stall to where she presumed Corrin was but was startled into silence when the girl was nowhere to be found.

Both Ryoma and Hinoka exchanged a worried glance for a second before snapping into action. Going their separate ways and agreeing to meet in the town plaza in ten minutes, they started their search for Corrin.

Ryoma went further into the market, shouting Corrin's name as he went (and gaining a few dirty looks in the process as he pushed through the bustling crowd). After searching for what seemed like a life time, there was still no sign of the young girl and so he started to make his way towards his and Hinoka's agreed meeting spot.

As he walked agitatedly in the direction of the plaza, he spotted the food that he'd bought for Corrin on the ground. _It's just a coincidence_ \- he thought to himself- _somebody else obviously dropped their food, there's no guarantee that it's Corrin's._ Still, he found himself walking quicker. When he reached the plaza, he was stunned into silence by what awaited him there.

* * *

"Look at _her!_ What's with her ears? They're all oddly shaped, she looks really funny." A young boy, who was about Ryoma's age, maybe younger, sneered in Corrin's face, backing her up against a wall, his two friends laughing and jeering alongside him, trapping Corrin.

Despite being outnumbered and at an obvious disadvantage due to her being younger and shorter than them, she tipped her chin up in defiance and glared at the boys; never saying a word but remaining dignified whilst keeping the fear that was just beginning to blossom in check.

"Yeah, what about her eyes as well? Who has eyes that are that vivid a shade of red? She looks like some sort of demon or something." The boy on the left- who had a deeper tone and unkind eyes taunted.

"I wouldn't be surprised if she's some beast that Nohr has sent to hurt us." The final boy, a boy with brown eyes that were a few shades lighter than his hair, and a burly build added to the other two's taunts.

 _Nohr_ \- she knew that name from somewhere. _Where had she heard it before…?_

"Or maybe the Nohrians thought that she was so monstrous-looking that even they wanted nothing to do with her. I mean, have you seen anyone who looks like her before? Even Nohr must have _some_ standards…"

 _Wolves._ They were like a pack of wolves; their words just as suffocating and encasing as their physical beings. Cutting into her like knives and remaining there; festering in the wounds they'd made. She wanted them to _stop_ ; she had to make them stop! "I can't help how I look. I'm just like _you_ ; I walk, I talk, I sleep and I breathe. So leave me alone!"

They completely ignored her and the boy in the middle reached out to grab a lock of her hair as he spoke, "Also, look at this, boys, her hair is so pale, makes those devilish eyes stand out all the more, don't you think?"

Corrin snapped. She pushed the boy away from her with all of the strength she possessed. He stumbled back a few steps and the other two jumped back in shock at the strength she was exerting. Corrin felt rage; such blinding _rage_. She felt herself shuddering with the anger and she couldn't control it. She fell to her hands and knees, her cut from earlier on reopening. She looked up to see the boys approaching her again their fury mirroring her own. Two of them grabbed her by her arms, pinning her back against the wall and causing her head to snap back against it. Pain shot through her head, bringing her back to her senses for a moment. Her eyes opened and she could see their leader approaching her again however, she could also see a familiar figure running towards them. He grabbed the leader from behind and pulled him back away from Corrin.

"Release her, _now!_ " She felt herself tumbling to the ground as the other two gave into Ryoma's demand.

"Pr-prince Ryoma?! What are _you_ doing here?"

Corrin couldn't move, she could barely think straight; the ringing in her ears was so loud that she could barely hear Ryoma's response.

"I came here to protect _my_ sister from you fiends."

"She…she's _your_ sister?"

"Not like this kind of behaviour would've been acceptable if directed at anyone else but yes, she is a princess of Hoshido; a member of _your_ royal family and so if I was you, I'd _already_ be running."

The boys didn't wait around for a second longer and ran off as fast as their legs could carry them as Ryoma rushed towards Corrin, grabbing her arms.

"Corrin? Corrin, breathe deeply, now, you need to calm _down_."

Corrin's breaths were coming out in short shallow gasps as she tried to focus on her brother's words.

"Corrin," Ryoma, placed a hand on her chin and forced her to meet his gaze. "Snap out of it!"

Then-and only then- could Corrin calm down enough to focus on the world around her; the turmoil inside of her dissipating gradually, her brother's worried expression making her feel so much guilt for making him anxious. She reached out a hand to brush a stray strand of hair from his face as she spoke, "You,"-she cleared her throat which felt dry and sore, like she'd been screaming.- "You let them go… _why?_ "

"Don't worry, I know who they are, you're more important right now. Are _you_ okay?"

Corrin nodded slowly, she looked over Ryoma's shoulder and spotted Hinoka rushing towards them.

"I'll have to tell father about this." Ryoma warned her and he hesitated before speaking up again, "I'm so sorry that this happened to you, sister."

* * *

It was now evening and Corrin was gazing out of her bedroom window, like she normally did when she was upset. Their words were still taunting her hours later. She hadn't stayed with Ryoma as he'd explained to Mikoto and Sumeragi about the events of that afternoon nor had she allowed for any visitors to her room to check on her or to even bring her food.

She heard a hesitant knock against her door and she looked towards the source of the sound as the door opened slowly to reveal her mother.

"I don't _want_ to talk about it." Corrin said; it was obvious that she'd been crying and that she wasn't her usual cheery self.

"Unfortunately, Corrin, I'm your mother and so I _need_ to talk about it with you. Those bullies were the reason that you chose to play in the castle gardens today, weren't they?"

Corrin's silence was answer enough. After a moment, she spoke up, "I-I didn't want to go out into town but big bro said he'd go with us, I thought that I'd be safe."

Mikoto's expression became one of sadness as she answered her daughter, "Unfortunately, even Ryoma can't be there for you _all_ the time even if he wants to be- which he does, by the way. Hinoka and Ryoma are both feeling a lot of guilt right about now, after Ryoma told us what happened they basically ended up doing what you did; shutting themselves up in their rooms and refusing to come out or allow visitors of any kind."

"They don't have to feel guilty, it wasn't their fault! I went to look at a stall and the boys dragged me away. I shouldn't have wandered off alone I- I should've stayed with them." Tears started to well up in her eyes again and Mikoto pulled the crying girl into her embrace.

Mikoto shushed her, gently, her soothing tone helping to calm her young daughter down as she ran her fingers through her hair.

After a few moments more of silence, Mikoto turned her daughter so she could stare directly into her face; her own expression filled with grief as she deliberated. "There is one thing that I must discuss with you, little one. You need to keep your anger under control at all costs, okay?"

Corrin's eyes- so filled with innocence and youth met her mother's. "Because I'm a princess and so I can't get mad at the subjects, right?"

Mikoto laughed slightly, "Well, normally I would say 'yes' to that but since they provoked you _that_ much, I'm sure no one would've blamed you for getting so upset however; you don't have the privilege of allowing your rage to get the better of you."

The young girl found her mother's words confusing to say the least but before she could speak up, Mikoto continued, "You have powerful blood- _special blood_ \- running through your veins, you must control your temper or risk losing yourself to the influence that your blood could possibly have over you one day."

Corrin didn't understand; she knew everyone in the royal family could use 'Dragon Veins' because of the blood that ran through them, that much had been drilled into her for as long as she could remember. But…there was more to that power than she'd previously thought? "Big bro was angry at them too, have you told him this?"

"No, you see, this only applies to _you_. I'm so sorry, Corrin, sorry that only you have to keep your emotions in check but this is the only way to protect you. I can't tell you any more than what I've told you but you need to know that I keep things from you because I love you and I want to see you grow up into the beautiful, strong woman I know that you're going to become one day."

Mikoto's eyes were filled with regret and anguish. To put her little angel through so much agony, to know that it was because of the blood in her daughter's veins that her unique appearance had gotten the attention of the bullies that had plagued her for however long it had been. To know it was _that_ blood that meant her emotions may one day cause her downfall, it was too horrible for words but…Corrin wouldn't be here without _that_ blood. The thought of a life without her child caused Mikoto such grief it was almost too much to bear.

Maybe she was selfish, but she'd never claimed _not_ to be.

Just then, someone else entered the room. It was Sumeragi. The man had felt such anger at the fact that anyone would hurt his child like that. She meant the world to him even if there was no blood connection there. He'd been there for her when she'd been ill, fed her, played games with her, made her laugh, comforted her as she'd cried; he'd been there to do all that for her and more and if that didn't make him _her_ father or her _his_ daughter then he didn't know what would.

He still didn't know who her real father was but he honestly didn't care. To begin with, it had bothered him that Mikoto had been so reluctant to share that particular detail with him nevertheless, he'd still accepted both her and her young babe into the Hoshidan royal family and he hadn't regretted that decision since.

"Corrin,"- He sighed, wrapping her up in his embrace- "My beautiful daughter-"

She placed her hand over his mouth. "Don't. I'm not beautiful or worthy of being your daughter, I aren't…I aren't _normal_." She whispered that last word.

He laughed at that, removing her hand from his mouth. "Normal, what's _that_?" He tickled her stomach lightly and despite her sullen mood, she giggled. "You are beautiful; you have these big, bright, vibrant eyes and this amazing smile and such a warm personality. Your heart is as pure as they come; you're a lovely person both inside and out and just remember that even if the whole world disagrees with that, your whole family believes it with every fibre of their being. You're the sister of Ryoma, Hinoka and Takumi and the daughter of Mikoto and me. You are a Hoshidan royal, a part of this unit, a significant part and you have as much right to feel loved and accepted into this family as any of us do."

The three of them looked up at the stars, lighting up the midnight sky with their light and they smiled; making the most of the warm family moment they were sharing. All three of them felt so much peace; in that moment, it was difficult to believe that there was any such thing as cruelty in the world. "We'll _always_ be here for you, little one, guiding your way, warming your heart and keeping you safe." Sumeragi kissed the little girl's forehead as she yawned, her eyes closing. "We will _always_ love you, dear heart, even if everything else fades away around you; keep that truth with you in your heart…always."

* * *

So...yeah, you got to find out more about what Sumeragi and Mikoto think of the situation surrounding Corrin and her place in Hoshido and the Hoshidan royal family. This was quite a painful Chapter for me to write but I honestly think it adds a lot to each of the characters. It displays Hinoka's anger, Ryoma's anguish, Corrin's insecurities, Mikoto's guilt and Sumeragi's love. Of course, Ikona still hasn't had much explained about her character and take on things and so I'll see if I can do something to correct that after all, she's one of the parents too. Yet again, I already know the focus of my next Chapter so hopefully that one will be up soon too. I'm not sure if I have room for more requests (it's a bit vain of me to presume I'll get any, I know) but if I do, I'll see if I can fit them in or make them work but chances are, probably not. Until next time. xXx


	5. The Calm before the Storm

***Spoilers Warning*** Definite spoilers about the Avatar's actual relation to the Hoshidan royal family (hopefully people will know what that means and if they don't then that probably means they shouldn't read on). Also, spoilers about certain game events. **Also there are spoilers in my explanation about this Chapter and about the game which is why the spoiler warning is here so please be careful.**

Hello! Welcome, one and all, please enter... **if you dare**. *ahem* I'll stop now. Anyway, this Chapter is a rather unusual thing, really. Mainly because unlike the majority of the events featured in the other Chapters, a major part of this Chapter is inspired by the Supports between Ryoma and Sakura. To be honest, I think this Chapter is rather weak in comparison to the others I've written thus far mainly because of the fact that it serves as a last sweet little moment before this story moves on plot-wise and so, I'm saving all of my best writing until I have to write the next plot-based thing. You can probably guess what you should be expecting from what I post next however, I'm still unsure as to whether or not I'm going to be splitting it up into two Chapters or just keeping it in one; it all really depends on how much I write, I guess.

There has been another time skip of yet another year. Corrin is four, Ryoma is eleven, Hinoka is six and Takumi is two. As you can probably tell...it's just easier for me to do time skips in years rather than months. (I hope that these time skips fit in with their birthdays...hmm...from what I can tell, they do...so far.) Also, the first part of the story is from Ikona's perspective just in case that isn't made clear during her bit. Like I've already said, I have to apologise for how weak this Chapter is in comparison to the others but hopefully, I'll be able to make it up to you all and personally, I think the bit focusing on Ikona is just as strong as the rest of my work in this story has been, it's just the stuff that happens afterwards that's a bit...meh. (For all I know, you guys might actually like that bit and think it's just as strong as everything else I've written or you might hate it all or you might prefer the events later on in this Chapter to the bit focusing on Ikona but I guess that's how opinions work).

 **Disclaimer:** *I own nothing to do with 'Fire Emblem [Fates]', its locations, characters etc.*

 **Rated T**

* * *

 **Chapter Five: The Calm before the Storm**

The woman walked through the halls of the castle, her steps echoing through the silence as she looked around herself. Her mood was solemn and her usual calm demeanour was replaced with an extreme tension and sadness.

She really wasn't needed here anymore.

He'd called _her_ 'mother'.

Of course, she shouldn't have been shocked by that fact. She had been very distant with her own children since the arrival of _that_ young woman here a few years ago with a bundle of joy in _her_ arms but that was because Sumeragi had requested that she remained in the shadows since the young girl didn't know her all that well. That would go on to explain why she'd lurk in the background when it came to the lives of her own children. Apart from on certain occasions, she was allowed to have no contact with the girl with scarlet eyes, pale hair and pointed ears and- unfortunately for her- her children were practically always around that particular girl. It was little wonder that overtime; her own flesh and blood would stop seeing her as the woman who'd brought them into this world and instead feel an overwhelming sense of loyalty to _that_ young woman and her spawn instead.

To begin with, she hadn't resented the woman who'd invaded her home and they'd become fast friends. Admittedly, they didn't see each other often but when they did, there was no tension, no anger or hatred, just a mutual love for both Sumeragi and the children and a love for their relatively peaceful lives here in Hoshido.

But then one day, she'd had news for Sumeragi; she was pregnant with his third child. Of course, the man was ecstatic with the news that he was going to be a father for the third time (or fourth if you counted the unwarranted arrival) and to begin with, she'd thought that it would've been like the other two times. The first time she'd carried his burden, the man had been attentive to her needs and desires; he'd held her close, been there through the difficult times as well as through the easy ones and had been an all-around supportive husband. The second time had been more of the same.

Then, he had to go ahead and fall in love with _her_ as well.

Mikoto…she'd arrived at the castle all smiles and warmth, looking like an innocent and bright lady whose intentions were as pure as her heart. However, as she'd carried Sumeragi's third child, _that other woman_ and her daughter had gone on to monopolize the majority of the King's time and attention. Apart from the occasional brief visit to check on her (or rather, to check on the baby), he barely paid her the time of day. There was none of that love and passion that had gotten them through their youth, just an overwhelming sense of duty, responsibility and obligation. It was those three things that kept them together, not love.

Now here she is, almost two years on, carrying yet another child for that same man who no longer loved her as much as he once did. His love now belonged to Mikoto and to Ryoma, Takumi, Hinoka and… _that child_. She did know that her children still loved her, especially Hinoka; as cruel and as bitter as it sounded, she was glad that Hinoka had never been as accepting of Mikoto as Ryoma had been. She knew the difference between the mother who had given her life and had given her all of her love and the poor imitation that was Mikoto. Meanwhile, Ryoma acted as if _that woman_ had any right to be referred to as 'mother' by him. She didn't warrant that level of dedication!

It was cruel for Sumeragi to get her pregnant again when it was clear that she was no longer the object of his affections, but his image of a loyal husband and a dedicated king had to be maintained at all costs which meant- of course- that Hoshido's beloved Queen Ikona had to bear his children as well as attend all public events whilst remaining by his side constantly- playing the role of a doting mother and queen.

Now to top it all off, her health had been rapidly deteriorating since she'd started to carry this child. She was heavily pregnant by now and was due to give birth in just a few short weeks however; she already knew that she wouldn't live past the birth of her fourth child. This baby would be her last contribution to the world which made hearing her eldest son calling another woman 'mother' all the more difficult to bear. Maybe she should be glad that there would be someone else to fulfil that role in her stead for her children after she was gone but…she just couldn't bring herself to feel reassured by that.

Her hands fell to her stomach whilst she asked herself the question she'd already asked herself a million times before: _if her children and her husband had already begun to forget her before she was gone, how long would it be for her to disappear from their memories completely?_

That was a question she was glad that she wasn't going to live long enough to find out the answer for.

A single tear fell, she'd promised herself that she was not to cry at the fact that her life had rapidly become so tragic especially since if her life was going to be cut short, she was glad that it would end whilst doing something as beautiful as bringing a new life into this world. Because that's what this baby was to Ikona, a beautiful thing; her final miracle and her last act would be to give this little wonder life before she lost hers.

The only comfort she had to hold on to was that Sumeragi and Mikoto loved all of the children and for a brief time, even Ikona had loved Mikoto's child as much as she did her own; before her own bitterness had robbed her of the ability to love anyone she wasn't related to by blood. She knew that her new baby would be just as loved and as accepted as the other children were.

She smiled at that thought. "The world may forget me, my dear child, and you may never know me,"- she whispered as her hands rubbed lovingly over her bump- "But it is my greatest joy to bring you into this world. Over the last few years, life has been cruel to me nevertheless; if I have one wish for you- and for all of my children in fact- it's that you get to experience all of the beautiful things in this world. That your lives will be full of peace, love and happiness; that is all any mother wishes for their children and I'm no exception."

She sat in silence for a moment longer before sighing; she would never be able to accept the path that her life had taken during her last few years but even she couldn't deny that her time had been an eventful one; full to the brim with beauty and grace amid the hardships and pain and- in the end- that had to be worth something and that would always be better than for her life to have been of no worth at all.

* * *

"Come on, Hinoka, Takumi, what are you waiting for?!" The four-year-old laughed as she bossed her siblings around. She turned back around to face them as they were following her up the hill.

"We're coming, Corrin, just give us some time, Takumi has very little legs." Hinoka huffed, breathlessly as she tried to keep up with the energy that her younger sister possessed.

Sumeragi laughed as he came up behind Hinoka and patted her on the shoulder, "You should know by now that Corrin is in charge, her leadership skills are unparalleled."

"Okay, Father, no need to rub it in." Ryoma muttered to himself under his breath before turning back to Mikoto who was carrying his newly-born baby sister in her arms. "How are you holding up, Mother?"

Hinoka shot her brother a dirty look when she heard him refer to Mikoto as 'mother', it was only a few weeks since the death of Ikona- their real mother- and he was already acting like she was just a stranger to him. Granted, the relationship between the two had been strained in her last couple of years upon this earth, but that was no excuse for Ryoma's indifference to her passing.

Ryoma could almost feel Hinoka's glare piercing the back of his head as his mother was replying to his question but he ignored her. Up until a couple of months ago, he'd have never have dared to refer to Mikoto as 'mother' in front of Hinoka but as his relationship with his mother by blood had gone past the point of no return, he'd felt no reason to carry on pretending like Mikoto hadn't become more of a mother-figure than Ikona had ever been to him even if it was just to keep his sister happy.

Of course, he could understand her pain and anger; Sumeragi had already proposed to Mikoto in the brief time since his wife's death however, whilst the woman had accepted, they'd both agreed to wait a couple of months before going ahead with the union out of respect. Still, he could see why Hinoka- the child who had arguably been the closest to Ikona would be disgusted by this even though she trusted her father's judgement implicitly. The two siblings didn't often argue but their differing views on this matter had led to a couple of heated disputes.

Ryoma went back to trying to help his mother up the hill as they conversed with one another. This family walk had been his father's idea as he'd wanted to ease the tensions between them but by the looks of things, Corrin was now the one leading this operation which sparked some feelings of jealousy within Ryoma, much to his surprise. He was also a really good leader and this was just a little family get-together, he really shouldn't be feeling such an ugly emotion towards the sibling that he doted on and cared immensely for.

Aah...the flaws that come with being merely human.

Once they'd all reached the top of the hill, Corrin turned to her father and looked him dead in the eye, "Can we stop for lunch now?"

Sumeragi laughed and reached down to pat the young girl on the head, "Of course we can. Now…where shall we sit? Hmm…oh, look, over there! That's a beautiful cherry tree and it's in full bloom too. It's just beautiful."

All of them walked slowly towards the tree like they were approaching a mirage and they were afraid that it would disappear the second they got too close to its magnificence.

They all stood in silence for a small moment, just gazing at the cherry tree as the sun shone brightly in the distance. Birds were tweeting in the distance and a slight breeze wrapped around them.

"Sakura!" Sumeragi, said suddenly.

"Huh?" Corrin looked confused by her dad's proud tone as he said the seemingly random word.

"We'll name her…"- He nodded his head towards the baby cradled safely in Mikoto's arms- "…Sakura."

"Sakura?" Mikoto murmured, testing the name out. "That's…perfect for her. Little baby Sakura."

Corrin bounded up to her mother and looked at the baby. "Hello, Sakura! I'm glad you have a name now, it was hard to know what to call you before." She looked at both of her parents after taking in her sister's reaction. "I think she likes it."

"I think we all do." Ryoma said.

* * *

After that, they all started to eat the picnic that they'd prepared. Eventually Corrin, who was ever the ball of energy, started to run around the place with Hinoka and sometimes having races with her to see who could roll down the hill and climb back up it the quickest. Sumeragi and Mikoto had a quiet conversation with one another as they bonded with Sakura some more and Takumi had fallen asleep with his head resting against his father's lap. Ryoma, meanwhile, took this moment to reflect upon things. He didn't entirely understand why he was in such a contemplative mood but for some reason…he just felt like everything was too perfect in this moment. It almost felt as if he had to take this moment to enjoy the peace because it was fragile- it could be taken away from him at any moment.

He sighed and allowed his head to fall back against the grass, his eyes closed and he smiled a bit when he heard a particular loud yelp coming from Hinoka, apparently they were having fun. He would join in with his siblings and their fun and games however for a little while at least, he just wanted to relax; the young boy didn't get many opportunities to do that now and so he'd take any chance he could get.

* * *

"You know, it's been really peaceful in Hoshido lately, do you think the tensions between us and Nohr have disappeared?"

Ryoma shook his head at his eldest sister's question. It was nearly sunset by this point and Corrin had fallen asleep with her head resting against Ryoma's lap; his hand brushing through her hair gently. Sumeragi and Mikoto had taken Takumi and Sakura on a short stroll which left just Ryoma and an exhausted Hinoka sitting under the cherry tree.

"No, there are still tensions. Just the other day, Father and I had to deal with a small group of Nohrian soldiers; we obviously beat them easily; no one can compete with Father after all, his skills with Raijinto are unparalleled no matter who it is that he's battling."

"Hmm…then maybe Father should prioritise the well-being of Hoshido over marrying Mikoto."

Ryoma sighed. "Sister, you know that Father has always loved Mikoto and for a time, he still loved our Mother however, things change…people change."

"But that doesn't make it right!" Hinoka looked at him with tears in her eyes. "I love our Father dearly but how can he justify this?"

Ryoma laughed, silently. "This is what will make him happy and- as much as it pains me to say this- it isn't our choice to make. Besides, Mikoto is kind and caring, she will reassure the people of Hoshido during these hard times. It may take a while for them to warm up to her but once they do, you'll see that there really is no better choice for a queen of Hoshido than Mikoto."

Hinoka raised an eyebrow at her brother; she took a moment to take in his words before she took notice of the unease in her brother's expression. She knew that he loved Mikoto so his worried expression couldn't possibly be caused by the thought of their father taking her on as a wife so…what could it be? "…R-Ryoma, is there something wrong?"

He hesitated for a brief moment before replying. "I just feel like this-right here- this moment is the calm before the storm. I feel like something terrible lurks just around the corner and no matter how hard I try to shake the feeling, it just won't leave me alone."

Hinoka pursed her lips slightly. "You-"

"However,"- He interrupted Hinoka's response and smiled ruefully at her- "I don't know about you but when I look at baby Sakura, I feel like everything is going to be okay. How can it not be? We're the Hoshidan royal family, there's not a single thing that we can't overcome for the sake of our loved ones and for the sake of all of Hoshido and its future, no matter how great of a storm comes our way, we'll face it with all of our might and dignity." His expression was one of pride.

Hinoka laughed loudly at her brother's inspirational speech. "You know, you're starting to sound just like our Father, it's….mildly scary."

Hinoka's laughing managed to wake Corrin up and she rubbed at her eyes as she turned her head slightly to look up at her brother. "What's so funny?"

"Our sister thinks that I do a great impression of our Father."

"Well…your hair is starting to look like his." Corrin pointed out with a frown before she suddenly smiled at him. "But I like you the way you are, Ryoma and I like Daddy the way he is; you're both awesome."

"I'm glad you think so." Ryoma chuckled before looking over Corrin's head. He could see their father in the distance waving them over. "It's time for us to go, you two."

Corrin stood up and grabbed Hinoka's arm before bounding over to where their parents were waiting with their other siblings. Ryoma smiled at Hinoka's shocked face before sighing and turning back to look at the cherry tree one last time. "Everything will be okay, Ryoma. Everything _will_ be okay." He chanted to himself.

He didn't know whether he was just trying to convince himself that that was the truth or whether he was hoping that the more he said it out loud, the more likely it was to be the case either way, it wasn't helping to ease his worries and he began to wonder if anything would.

* * *

So...we've reached the end of the significant memories before the events in Cheve (she says confidently although, this may change if I think of something else to write about first). I really feel mixed about this Chapter; I think it paints Ikona, Sumeragi and Ryoma in quite negative lights at some points and that isn't something I ever wanted to do however, I do think it allows you to see some of their flaws and how they are just human beings like the rest of us. I especially feel like this is significant for Ryoma's character as he seems very...aloof during 'Fates' and is sort of painted out like this unapproachable wonder of nature or something (not like I mind that because he is perfect in my mind...I also find him yummy looking but that's neither here nor there...) Also, I've finally finished 'Revelation' *wooh* so...there's that. =D


	6. Our Farewell (Part One)

Hello, I want to welcome you to the next Chapter of 'Reasons to Fight' entitled 'Our Farewell'. As you can possibly tell, this Chapter (and the upcoming one) will focus on the events in Cheve and honestly, it was incredibly hard for me to write about. Not because of the situation because I've always been able to imagine how it all pans out rather easily and so I already knew where I wanted to take this part of the story. No, it was difficult because I honestly did not want to break up the sweet little family unit that I've come to love even more since I started to write about them however, writing about this came part and parcel with taking on this story and I just hope that I've done it justice.

As you can probably tell, this is 'Part One' of this and there will be two parts: this part will focus on the build up to the events in Cheve whilst the next part will actually feature them. Something that both myself and one of the readers of this story (Dragonna) both agreed on was that it was rather upsetting that there was no sweet little moment between Corrin and Takumi and so I did manage to squeeze one in towards the end of this first Part and it actually worked out in my favour as it gives me more to work on with Takumi when it comes to the aftermath of Corrin's kidnap. It was inspired by a 'head canon' that said user brought to my attention that was based around Takumi's Supports with Orochi and whilst it isn't the exact same concept of the 'head canon', it still slots nicely into the relationship I wanted to build between Corrin and Takumi before they're separated.

Another thing that really inspired this Chapter and the next one is a song. Normally, I put songs that have inspired my work at the bottom just in case people are interested in what I listen to in order to feel inspired however, I feel like the song played such a significant part in inspiring both Chapter Six and Seven that I have to put it here. It is entitled **'Our Farewell'** and it's by **Within Temptation**. You can probably already tell how much it impacted the story by how it's used as the title for both this Chapter and the next one. I've realised that a lot of songs by Within Temptation really suit a lot of what happens in 'Fates' and so you can probably expect me to bring up their name again in the future alongside the names of other songs by them.

There's a lot more I could potentially say about this two-part piece that I've written but I honestly think the results speak for themselves, I really do appreciate feedback on all of my work however, I'd be really interested to hear how people respond to how I've handled the events in Cheve because what is featured in these Chapters- apart from the Takumi bit and one other small bit- is really how these events have always played out in my head whenever I've imagined the situation. I really dislike the fact that I've had to split it up into two parts and I honestly made it all try to fit into one Chapter however, it didn't take me long to realise that it wasn't going to work but if it makes up to you, there won't be a long wait between this part and the next one so...*yeahy*.

The ages for both Ryoma and Hinoka are still the same as they were in the previous Chapter (eleven and six) whilst the ages for Corrin, Takumi and Sakura have changed since the last Chapter (they are now five, three and one respectively).

Anyway...I'll shut up now and let you get on with reading this Chapter.

...Okay, I lied as there's something else I must mention. I've recently realised that I've been writing 'Hoshidian' and 'Hoshidians' instead of 'Hoshidan' and 'Hoshidans' and so I have been going through the Chapters trying to correct it wherever possibly however, I can't be sure if I've changed it every time or if I'll end up making the same mistake(s) again in the future as the way I've been writing it feels more natural than the way it's supposed to be for some reason so I'd very much appreciate it if you let me know if you spot any further mistakes in regards to this.

 ***Spoilers Warning*** Definite spoilers about the Avatar's actual relation to the Hoshidan royal family (hopefully people will know what that means and if they don't then that probably means they shouldn't read on). Also, spoilers about certain game events.

*I own nothing to do with 'Fire Emblem [Fates]', its locations, characters etc.*

 **Rated T**

* * *

 **C** **hapter Six: Our Farewell (Part One)**

When Ryoma turned up to breakfast that morning, he thought that it would just be an ordinary occurrence like it was every day. He was talking with Hinoka about nothing in particular, just enjoying the peaceful atmosphere. Mikoto was holding a one-year-old Sakura in her arms whilst Takumi was trying his very best to get Hinoka's attention by making a grab for her hair; Corrin was nowhere to be found due to sleeping in again and his father whilst he was there, was remaining very quiet. His expression seemed to suggest that he had something to say to the gathered group but he was unsure of how to say it and so he just remained in silence, allowing his gaze to sweep over his family every once in a while.

Ryoma was just taking a quick sip of his coffee when his father coughed, drawing everyone's attention to him, "I have some news for you all, tomorrow we will be heading out to Cheve."

Ryoma's eyes widened at the announcement and he choked somewhat on his drink. "Cheve? Why are we going all the way out to _Cheve_?"

Sumeragi's expression became serious as he addressed his son's question. "I have had word from Nohr's king; he wants to hold a peace conference there."

"What? That's great news, Father, well…if it's true." Ryoma added, recalling that incident from a couple of years previously; the face of the man referred to as King Garon as he held Corrin up in the air like some sort of trophy.

Sumeragi looked at Ryoma, his gaze piercing into his, "I have no reason to doubt his intentions however, we will still err on the side of caution, don't you worry about that."

Mikoto decided to put her own concern out there, "But…why are we all travelling there? Surely it's dangerous to leave Hoshido without its royal family and besides, the children are still all so young…" She allowed her sentence to drift off. Mikoto and Sumeragi had married when Sakura was about two and a half months old, the ceremony had been rather small as the people of Hoshido were still mourning over the death of Queen Ikona and so they hadn't wanted to make a big fuss of their union.

"Yukimura will be watching over Hoshido for us alongside Orochi. Also, Mikoto, I do not intend to put either you or our children in danger,"- Hinoka made a disgusted noise in her throat at the 'our children' bit but Sumeragi chose to ignore it.- "Nevertheless, I want you all to at least be present in Cheve when the meetings take place as a sign of good faith. From what I've heard, King Garon intends to bring his own children there as well and is keeping soldiers to a minimum. Only Ryoma will be going with me when I actually meet with the king as one day, he will be taking over my role and so this will be good first-hand experience for him. Are you okay with that, Ryoma?"- An eyebrow quirked up as he waited for his son to respond.

There was no hesitation from Ryoma, "Of course, Father. I wouldn't have it any other way."

Hinoka wrapped her arms around a restless Takumi, "Hold on a moment, no matter how you look at this situation, it's still incredibly risky and Ryoma is still only eleven. Father, please reconsider at least Ryoma's roll in this."

"Hinoka, trust in our Father's judgement and trust in mine; I believe that it will all be okay in the end and so it will be my honour to bear witness to such a momentous occasion such as this."

Sumeragi smiled at his son's conviction, just then the door opened to reveal Corrin who despite having slept for a lot longer than anyone else still looked to be half asleep. "What's going on?" She asked when she saw the different expressions of people around the table; Sumeragi's pride, Mikoto's worry, Hinoka's acceptance, Ryoma's resolve and Takumi's and Sakura's shared confusion.

"We will be travelling to Cheve in the morning in order to meet with the king of Nohr in a few days, Corrin so for once you'll actually have to be up _on time_." Sumeragi smiled.

Corrin frowned at the implication as her Father continued to explain everything that had been discussed before she'd arrived including telling her about Ryoma's role and that of the rest of her family however, her focus was elsewhere for the most part.

She'd heard of _'Cheve'_ before but had never been; the word _'Nohr'_ also sounded familiar but she couldn't place it and why did the thought of Nohr's king fill her with such an uneasy feeling?

"Is it…dangerous to go?" She asked.

Mikoto passed Sakura to Sumeragi and went over to her daughter, scooping her up and giving her a huge hug, "There are some dangers, yes, but your Daddy is strong, isn't he? He'll be all right, you'll see." She placed the young girl back down.

Takumi ran over, grabbing his big sister's arms and spinning her around; he was always such a ball of energy just like Corrin, "Yeah, don't worry about it, sister. We'll _all_ be fine."

Corrin pulled back from her younger brother, feeling rather dizzy after all the twirling, she grabbed her arm and scratched at her skin nervously, something didn't feel right to her even though the rest of her family either looked to be confident that everything would go according to plan or they looked on their way to believing that, Corrin couldn't shake her fears and concerns.

Sumeragi placed his large hands on the table, "Well, we'd better start preparing for the trip now, shouldn't we? There's much to be done in such a small amount of time." He stood up and left the room with everyone else following close behind him.

As Ryoma started to leave the room behind everyone else, Corrin grabbed onto his sleeve, forcing him to stay behind. He sighed and bent down to her level, "What is it Corrin?"

"Big brother, we- we shouldn't go to this. Do you remember after Sakura was born and you felt really worried about something and then more attacks started to occur? Well…I have a _similar_ bad feeling, something is going to go wrong and I don't want you or Father to get hurt!"

"Sister, you really shouldn't worry, none of us are at least, not anymore. You trust Father, right and you trust me?"- The small girl nodded. - "Then you have no cause for concern, okay?"

He left the room without glancing back at her. She watched the retreating form of her brother as a wave of sadness and confusion washed over her. She remembered how close she used to be to her big brother, there was a time when he'd have never have brushed of her concerns so casually however, as they'd grown up and Ryoma had become more busy with his duties as a prince, he'd started to treat Corrin differently. Don't get her wrong, he was still incredibly kind towards her and he would always protect her from danger and spend his spare time with her but he seemed to have no time to listen to her concerns or worries anymore, often writing them off as insignificant. He always trusted his own judgement and that of their father but never trusted that of anyone else.

Corrin didn't like that.

She looked around the empty room as she pondered how she could possibly stop this trip from going ahead. When her mind continued to come up blank nearly an hour later, she curled up into a ball and cried as her fears continued to eat away at her.

* * *

They arrived at the outskirts of Cheve just a few of days later, the journey had been relatively calm and very little had gone wrong which was good since Sumeragi was due to meet with Garon later that day. Corrin had been unusually quiet during the trip only really coming out of her shell when Takumi wanted to spend time with the sibling he adored the most, other than on those rare occasions however, she would normally remain silent up until people would discuss the plans for the upcoming days as she would then voice her concerns, repeating them over and over again up until the point that people were so sick of her bringing them up that they stopped mentioning them in front of her altogether.

The location they'd chosen to stay at was very inconspicuous in order to not draw attention to the people who were now temporarily occupying it. Whilst travelling there, Corrin had become acquainted with a few of the royal retainers who served her family; many of who were ninja. She'd thought they were rather cool however; she was too distracted by her own anxieties to really get to know them and besides, they intimidated her a bit.

By this point, the sun was beginning to set and Sumeragi was holding a final meeting with his troops, guards and retainers, going through the plan and the back up plans again just so that everyone was clear as to what was about to occur. With any luck, the conference would be short and sweet but it was still best not to take chances.

He pointed to a location in Cheve that he had marked on a map, a serious yet confident expression on his face as Ryoma and the other attendants looked over his plans, "…So we'll be stationed here-"

He was interrupted by the door to the room opening slightly to reveal Corrin.

"Corrin, you shouldn't be here, you should be in bed." Sumeragi sighed at his daughter.

"No!"- She said stubbornly. "I won't go to sleep until you listen to _me_. I _really_ don't think you should meet with this king, it's too _dangerous_ , and I don't want anything to happen to you." There were tears in her eyes.

Sumeragi didn't reply, just smiled reassuringly at his daughter, Ryoma sighed behind him and stepped towards Corrin. "I'll take her back up to her room and put her to bed, Father, I'll be back shortly."

"No! Please, Ryoma, Father, someone, listen to _me_!" She struggled in her brother's grasp as he started to pull her from the room, just before she was out of there completely, her gaze met with that of a green-haired young boy. His eyebrows were pulled together in concern as they continued to stare at each other right up until the moment the door closed. Corrin gasped suddenly, that boy looked even younger than Ryoma. If anything went wrong, how would he survive? How would Ryoma? Corrin cried out, her desperation getting the better of her. She kicked and screamed as Ryoma carried her up the stairs whilst he continued to murmur words of comfort in her ear even as she continued to ignore them.

* * *

Meanwhile, in the conference room, the young boy with green-hair looked down at the ground, his mind repeating the young princess's concerns over and over again. He knew that he should've been paying attention to what was going on around him however, when he compared her words to what he'd seen earlier…

"King Sumeragi, I'm not sure if this is the right time to bring it up but-" He suddenly stopped talking, this was the king of Hoshido he was talking to! The idea that he hadn't realised what he'd also seen earlier was a stupid one to have. Besides, even if the king had _somehow_ been oblivious, someone else _must_ have realised and already alerted the king to the situation and yet, he was still so convinced that this was a peace conference and who was the young boy to argue otherwise?

"Yes, Kaze?" The king smiled down at the child; the boy felt so privileged that Sumeragi was willing to listen to him.

In fact he felt so honoured by it that he came to the conclusion that there was no way something horrible could ever possibly happen to a man as kind and as honourable as him after all, it was clear that everyone here would go above and beyond to protect such an astounding character as King Sumeragi and so, whilst it pained the young boy to embarrass himself, he turned back to the king only hesitating for a moment longer before saying "It's nothing, I'm sorry to have wasted your time, King Sumeragi."

He could only hope that he wouldn't come to regret his decision.

* * *

As this was going on, Ryoma finally managed to get Corrin up into her room and back into bed. The young girl huffed as he placed a blanket over her and she folded her arms over her chest, a habit she'd no doubt picked up from him. She sat in silence, staring at him.

"Corrin, I _promise_ you that everything will go according to plan, I would never let anything bad happen to _our_ family and neither would Father, you know that."

"Of course I do but…"- She wrapped her small hand around his wrist and she stared up into his eyes- pleading with him to listen to her. "…You have to listen to me, Ryoma! Something bad _is_ going to happen out there."

Before Ryoma could open his mouth to reply, Corrin spoke up again. "Father is going to have the Raijinto with him but…the rest of you have been told to take a limited amount of weapons in order to appear less threatening and you've been ordered to not be armed at all, Ryoma. Please, for once, ignore the order; take a weapon with you. I don't _want_ to lose my big bro! I don't _want_ to lose my Father!"

Ryoma's expression was torn; he honestly believed with every fibre of his being that everything would be okay but…Corrin was so convinced otherwise. However, the fact that she was asking him to disobey a direct order from their father was almost the final straw for him. "Just…just go to _sleep_ , Corrin." He closed his eyes, he felt so much pain; he loved Corrin with all of his heart and soul, she was his sister and yet, giving in to her, believing in her worries and fears; it felt like giving up on any hope that there could ever be any sense of peace between Hoshido and Nohr.

She cried out in frustration as he stood up and tried to leave the room. "Ryoma, I beg of you, do everything in your power to remain safe, listen to me and take a weapon with you, at least… _please!_ We can't afford to lose you or Father or anyone for that matter just…come back to us."

Ryoma grabbed a hold of the door handle and froze there for a moment. "I vow to you Corrin, everything will be okay."- He smiled slightly at her. "In fact, in the morning, I'll come and see you, I'll wake you up personally so that you can see that everything went according to plan and we'll laugh and play together, just like we always do. As your big brother, I will never let you down that I promise to you."

He left the room and headed back downstairs, the rest of the group had prepared to march to the meeting point in Cheve and he saw his father waving him over. Ryoma hesitated at the door as he thought about the conversation he'd just had with Corrin, in his line of sight he saw a katana leaning against the wall:

 _"You will be unarmed, Ryoma, from what I've heard, King Garon is insisting on bringing his eldest son with him and his son will also not be bearing a weapon at his side, this will be the first sign of trust between our nations."_

Ryoma felt his gaze falling back to the katana as he recalled his father's words. Suddenly, he sighed to himself, "I'm so sorry, Father." He murmured to himself under his breath. He made a grab for the weapon and concealed it on his person before meeting up with the rest of the troops.

* * *

Corrin looked on from the window upstairs as the group started to head into the distance, when she was convinced that they could no longer see her, she quietly headed out of the room; her resolve unwavering.

There was only _one_ way to make sure that her father and brother were safe…

She looked around the halls in order to make sure no one was around to spot her, no doubt her father had posted a few guards around the house just in case but luckily for Corrin, she'd had a lot of practise at hiding from them. She just hoped that there were no ninja about; it'd be rather hard to spot them let alone avoid them!

Just as she was sneaking past Takumi's room she suddenly heard him speak up, "Sister, what _are_ you doing?"

"Takumi! I err…I'm just…" She looked around herself before sneaking into his room and closing the door slightly behind them.

"You're going after them, aren't you?" He asked her.

She nodded slightly and despite the fact that he'd guessed her motive all on his own, his eyes widened in surprise when she confirmed it.

"I'm telling Mummy!" He opened his mouth to call out and she placed her hand lightly over his mouth.

"Takumi, shh…! Please, I- I have to do this, okay? No one listened to me and so I have to do all I can to help and I _can't_ do all that I can without being there."

Tears started to brim in his eyes as he glanced at her. "But…you're supposed to stay here and if you're right about something going wrong then _you'll_ be in danger."

"I know, little brother, _I know_ but…"- She tried to think of what Ryoma would do in this situation. - "I promise I'll come back to you, I won't be gone long." She nodded confidently at him as she reached into her pocket. "Here, have this if it'll help, it's my favourite doll, I use it to get to sleep on a night and it's my favourite toy in the _whole wide world_ and so, you can think of this as reassurance that I'll be coming back because I'll be wanting my doll back otherwise I won't sleep on a night-time and I'll be all grumpy."

She passed him the little doll and he looked at it before smiling at her. "O…kay, if you're sure that you'll be coming back then I'll hold onto this for you. I'll never forgive you if you don't come back, though. I-I love you, sis, stay safe out there."

She nodded at the boy and kissed him lightly on the forehead before setting off again. When she made it to the front door, she took a deep breath. "Well…here goes nothing." She whispered before opening the door and heading off out to face the night ahead.

* * *

Well...I don't have much to say, I just hope that you liked it. Until next time. xXx


	7. Our Farewell (Part Two)

Well...here it is and I am so proud of this Chapter (even though it almost made me cry). I felt so many different emotions whilst writing it up and I hope that you all like it as much as I do. Like I said in the last Chapter, this is inspired by the song **'Our Farewell'** by **Within Temptation** , just in case you're interested.

If I have any worries about this Chapter then it's about how people will react to Ryoma. Please remember that he is just eleven-years-old and he still learning and becoming the character he is during 'Fates' and personally, I think his reactions to certain things are rather reasonable and hopefully, you'll all agree with how I've interpreted him for this Chapter (or at least see where I'm coming from with his character).

 ***Note*** I want to apologise for all of the problems with the uploading of this Chapter (and there may be more to come) as it really is being strange at the moment.

Well...I won't keep you long, I just want to say (as always) thank you for reading.

 ***Spoilers Warning*** Definite spoilers about the Avatar's actual relation to the Hoshidan royal family (hopefully people will know what that means and if they don't then that probably means they shouldn't read on). Also, spoilers about certain game events.

*I own nothing to do with 'Fire Emblem [Fates]', its locations, characters etc.*

 **Rated T (Also mild violence, gore, horror and language in this Chapter so be warned.)**

* * *

 **C** **hapter Seven: Our Farewell (Part Two)**

There was an obvious tension in the air as Corrin followed them further into Cheve. She was worried about being spotted and so she tried to stay as far behind the group as she could whilst making sure she could still see them however, eventually it was too dark for her to see anything let alone keep an eye on the party and so she instead followed the dull lights illuminating Cheve instead.

When she got there, the streets were quiet which seemed to suggest that everything was going all right so far since her Father had probably made it to Cheve first. Maybe this peace conference really was all it was cracked up to be and maybe she'd spent the last few days worrying about nothing. Still, she decided to look around for a little longer just to make sure, not like there was much she could do if something did happen but on her honour as a princess of Hoshido, she would face whatever came her way without flinching.

After what seemed like a lifetime to the young girl, she finally accepted that nothing was going to happen and she started to feel rather silly about all of this. She decided to make her way back to her temporary accommodation however, there was just one small problem…she couldn't remember how to get back there.

She spent ages wandering the streets, looking around for anything familiar but it was just so _dark!_ She couldn't make anything out and everything was so foreboding; those uneasy feelings started to return. _What would happen if she couldn't get back? Would she be able to find her Father or would he be able to find her? Would they leave Cheve and return to Hoshido without her?_

As these questions went through her head, she started to shake with fear, she was about to call out for help when she heard a loud, sudden noise coming from a few streets away. She squinted as she looked in the direction of the noise and she heard a voice cry out into the night as smoke began to shoot up into the air.

Corrin gasped her first thoughts were that her father had been hurt however, she knew that voice didn't belong to him nevertheless, she still wasn't overjoyed with the thoughts that someone else had been hurt or killed and that she had been right all along.

This 'King of Nohr' had intentions as dark as the night itself.

Without a second thought, she started running in the direction of the sounds she'd heard as other terrible sounds of fighting broke out around her.

* * *

Ryoma cried out as his katana made contact with the flesh of yet another Nohrian soldier. He started to wonder how it had come to this.

The night had been serene as they'd made their way further into Cheve, some of the troops were even smiling and laughing at the thought that a truce with Nohr was about to become a reality and as they got closer to the location, even Ryoma had become complacent and had started to feel stupid for giving into Corrin's concerns by bringing a weapon with him. Luckily, no one had noticed that he'd disobeyed his father's orders and he intended to keep it that way by keeping the katana firmly under wraps.

Then, as the darkness began to become overbearing, the tension started to settle into the group. It was never this dark in Hoshido and they weren't used to it nor were they prepared for it.

"Father, maybe we should turn back." Ryoma had suggested, turning to face his father only to realise that the man was nowhere to be seen and his guards were gone as well.

As Ryoma looked around himself, trying to remain calm despite his increasing panic, he quickly realised that he was alone, by the looks of things the whole group had been separated somehow however, there were no enemy soldiers around. _What sort of trickery is this?_ He thought to himself.

He'd continued to walk around for a while as he desperately sought out his father when he heard footsteps approach from behind him.

"Look, over there!"

"It's the Hoshidan prince, get _him_!"

"What sort of enemies announces their presence to the target?" Ryoma muttered to himself as he rolled his eyes and turned to face the approaching foes.

"The type of enemies,"- One of them snarled in reply. "That won't be beaten by a cocky brat like _you_."

He smiled slyly at them. "Believe it or not, I have a right to believe in my abilities but enough talk; you Nohrians always bore me with your pointless chit-chat. Let's end this now."

He managed to take down the three soldiers with ease, they'd clearly underestimated him due to his age and size in comparison to them however, although it hurt his pride a little he realised that this probably worked in his favour. No doubt other Nohrian soldiers would make the same assumption that their companions had and so he'd probably be able to take them all down quickly and efficiently which was good since it was probably the only way he'd get out of this situation alive.

By now, there were sounds of fighting all around him but he still couldn't spot his father. Still, he focused on taking out the enemies that came after him and ordering any of the Hoshidan troops he could find to prioritise finding his father and getting back to their base of operations as quickly as possible. They had to alert mother so that she could get out of there with everyone else, there wasn't a moment to lose!

A major problem originated from the fact that he'd only been to Cheve a handful of times before and so he wasn't as familiar with the geography as he would've liked to have been especially since his opponents probably had more knowledge of this place than he did. So he tried to remain in places he recognised and allowed the enemies to come to him instead.

He was about half way through dealing with a group of about five soldiers when he heard it; a girl's high pitched scream echoing through the night air. It really shouldn't have stood out to him given the situation he was in and besides, there were screams coming from every which way. This particular one shouldn't have caught his attention…but it did…because he _knew_ that scream. He would be able to recognise that voice from anywhere and even though he still didn't entirely understand how the owner of that voice could possibly be here in Cheve at this moment, he felt horror and dread shooting through him when he realised that it didn't really matter in the end because she _was_ here.

Corrin was here.

* * *

Corrin was no longer running through the streets, she was now walking slowly, her arms wrapped around herself and tears falling down her cheeks. She was tired and dazed; a scream would come from her left, a cry from her right. The smell of blood and sweat was everywhere, she couldn't escape them and it was making her feel sick.

"I-" – She choked on a sob.- "I want to go _home_." She fell against a wall, bringing her knees up against her chest, covering her ears with her hands. She started to sing a lullaby to herself; it was one her mother would always sing to her when she was afraid or upset. Corrin herself would sing it to Takumi and Sakura and even sometimes to Hinoka when she cried.

"I'm so s-scared." She whimpered when all of a sudden, she heard footsteps approach. Her eyes snapped open and she looked up, narrowing her eyes as she stared into the distance at the oncoming figures.

She stood up and looked behind her only to realise that there was a dead end behind her, the only ways out were a side street however, that was nearer to the strangers than it was to her and straight ahead which was obviously where they were coming from. She was trapped like a rat.

"F-father?" She asked hoping that by some miracle it was him.

When she had a clear view of the man at the front of the group her eyes widened, he had a grotesque face and he seemed…rather familiar, she felt like she'd seen him _somewhere_ before but she couldn't place him. He was dressed up like he was a rather important figure but…her father was also important and _he_ didn't look mean or cruel or scary, this man looked like he wanted nothing more than to kill her in fact, it felt to her like she was already as good as dead.

She gulped, even though he didn't look friendly, she hoped that she was wrong and that he was actually rather kind well…at least kind enough to help her. "Do- do _you_ know where my Daddy is?" She hadn't called Sumeragi _'Daddy'_ in months and she didn't entirely understand why she was doing it now.

The man sneered at her, an abrupt laugh escaping from his lips. "Yes…I remember you, I remember you well; daughter of Sumeragi."

She took a step back from him when she heard her father's name. "I don't know who you are but if you know my Daddy then please take me to him!"

The figure started to walk towards her. "You want me to return you to your _'Daddy_ '? Very well, I shall return you to him…in a body bag!"

Everything happened in a blur of motion and sound then, Corrin felt herself being thrown backwards, her scream echoing through the night as she closed her eyes as tightly as she possibly could, her head smacked against the ground and everything went black.

* * *

Ryoma snarled as he did a spin attack to take out the remaining soldiers and the second they were down, he sprinted towards the source of Corrin's scream. _What on earth was Corrin thinking when she had decided to come after them?_ Ever since Ryoma had started to accompany his father to battle, he'd been in many situations that should've made him feel afraid; situations where he'd seen his friends die, his father badly injured, bodies strewn about the place with blood pooling around them. He'd even almost been killed himself on occasion but he'd still never felt fear at least, not enough to overwhelm him and make him feel out of his element, just enough to be healthy.

But right now it felt like his heart was trying to burst forth from his chest, he couldn't breathe properly and his palms were sweating still, he carried on running, he couldn't stop! He _wouldn't_ stop! He _had_ to help Corrin.

When he arrived, what he saw shocked him. He was stood in a small side alley, the enemy on one side and his father on the other and behind his father, Corrin lay on the ground barely moving. His father was holding the Raijinto up high, blocking an oncoming attack from King Garon's axe. His father's expression was one of anger and resentment as he stared up at the traitorous king of Nohr.

After a few seconds, King Garon smirked and relented, pulling his axe back and stalking towards his men, he even had the nerve to turn his back on his 'enemy'. Ryoma felt bile rising in his throat as he glared at the corrupt king from the shadows.

"Garon! I shall make you pay for this with _your_ life." Sumeragi snarled at the 'man' in front of him.

"Heh, and how will you do that? With that toy you call a 'weapon'? Pathetic. Also…what is it you will make me pay _for?_ The betrayal? The deaths of your troops? Or how about my trying to harm that miserable excuse for a daughter?"

"How dare you call her that! I _will_ kill you for every sin you have committed against _my_ family; against _my_ people! Against Hoshido. Damn you, you _will_ pay for it all!" Sumeragi screamed.

King Garon stood in silence for a moment, staring intently at the Hoshidan king before he smirked at him. He moved a couple of steps closer to Sumeragi again, Ryoma found it strange that his men weren't more concerned about him getting closer to a man who had just vowed to kill him but what happened next shocked the young prince even more.

"Fire at will." Garon said calmly.

Ryoma watched from the shadows as he heard the sound of arrows piercing through the night but it was so dark he could barely make out what was going on that was until he heard the guttural sounds his father was making followed by a small whimper from Corrin. His head whipped around to see his father with his arms outstretched; protecting Corrin from the onslaught of arrows as he collapsed and fell forward. For the first time ever, Ryoma found himself freezing when faced with a dangerous situation. He had no idea what to do, how to react. He didn't know how to help or how to make it right.

But Corrin would, _if_ Corrin was capable of it, she would know exactly what to do because she always _did_ ; she was a born leader. A leader should always be aware of their surroundings, they should be prepared for any situation, any outcome and be able to work through it but despite the fact he would have to rule Hoshido one day, Ryoma couldn't do _that!_ He hadn't been able to do that when his father had told him about the trip to Cheve but Corrin _had_ been able to. Ryoma had never felt more useless in his entire life and the worst part was that he still couldn't work out how to make it right! He was only eleven, he wasn't ready for this and he wasn't ready for his father to die! _He wasn't ready…he wasn't ready….he wasn-_

"I'm disappointed in you, Sumeragi. That wasn't even my best trap." The heartless king of Nohr stalked towards the Hoshidan king and despite the situation, Sumeragi still stared defiantly into the eyes of the man who had lured him to his doom.

Garon lifted his axe into the air and Ryoma looked away as it came down with a sickening noise and his father gasped out his last desperate sound.

The young boy crumpled to the ground as his hero and his mentor met his grizzly fate; he wrapped his arms around his knees and began to cry silently suddenly, King Garon's voice drew his attention back to his sister's crumpled form.

"You poor thing."- He started towards Corrin; her eyes were barely open as she looked up into the face of the man who had just killed their father. Ryoma noted how she looked dazed and confused like she wasn't entirely sure what was going on. "Orphaned at such…a tender young age. You are my child now."

 _'Orphaned'? -_ Ryoma's brain processed the word slowly. Corrin was no orphan, she still had her mother- Mikoto-and even if she didn't she still had a family. Sakura, Takumi, Hinoka and himself. She wasn't alone in the world!

Garon reached out to grab her by her head, it brought back memories of that visit Garon had made to Hoshido only this time; there was no one around to put a stop to this madness apart from Ryoma.

All of a sudden King Garon and his men started to leave, it was clear that their business in Cheve was over and done with. **"No!"** Ryoma cried. He ran towards the crumpled form of his father, trying his best to not focus on the look of pure agony on his face as he made a grab for the Raijinto; he hadn't expected to inherit this katana for a while and yet…here he was; the divine blade covered in scarlet blood was in his grasp despite the fact that he still wasn't ready to wield its might but…he had to at least _try_ , the weapon he'd brought with him wasn't good enough and he had to save Corrin. He _had_ to save his sister!

He sprinted after the group, his resolve hardening as he chased them down. All those promises he'd made to Corrin over the years coming back to haunt him now:

 _"No matter what happens, I will always protect you and love you like a big brother should. You will always mean as much to all of us here as any blood relative. No matter what we face together or what tries to hurt us…"_

 _'…I will never lose sight of what is most important; my-no- our family. You'll never have to worry about anything, Corrin; I will make sure of it. It is my vow to you and I will do anything and everything to keep it."_

 _"You don't have to worry, little one, Daddy is strong enough to take care of himself and besides, I won't let anyone take you away from us; you can count on it."_

And, of course...

 _"In fact, in the morning, I'll come and see you, I'll wake you up personally so that you can see that everything went according to plan and we'll laugh and play together, just like we always do. As your big brother, I will never let you down that I promise to you."_

 **"Rargh!"** He bellowed. He used the Raijinto to cut down anyone _and_ everyone who came after him, his eyes focusing only on Corrin's retreating form as King Garon made his way out from Cheve. Her eyes were closed and blood was matted in her hair.

"Give me back my sister!" He shouted although he knew no one would pay him any attention. He _wouldn't_ let them take her! He _couldn't_ let them take her!

Suddenly, he felt someone grabbing him from behind. Ryoma cried out his rage at this unexpected turn of events as he felt himself being dragged backwards.

"Prince Ryoma _please_ , you _must_ calm down!" The Hoshidan soldier kept a firm grip around the young boy as he kicked and lashed out as he tried to break free from their grasp.

"I can't, he's got my sister! That vile king has Corrin. I promised to play with her in the morning, I vowed to see her. I _have_ to protect her. I have to-"

"There's nothing you can do! Going up against Garon would be suicide and if you died then you would be of no help to Princess Corrin at all."

Ryoma froze at the words, a choked gasp escaping from his throat. Of course, the words were true but in that moment, all Ryoma wanted was to have Corrin in his arms and his father's comforting hand resting upon his shoulder. How was he supposed to explain this to Hinoka and to Takumi, Sakura and of course…his mother, Queen Mikoto? How could he explain to them that his own weaknesses had prevented him from doing all he could to _help?_

As the sun began to rise over Cheve putting an end to the bloody night that it had just suffered through, Ryoma stumbled through the streets, making his way back towards where his father- the honourable Sumeragi, King of Hoshido- had lost his life protecting his child, whilst clutching the Raijinto in his hand, his mind kept flicking back to the image of Corrin being taken to Nohr and him being powerless to stop it.

When he finally made it back to the street he looked ahead and froze for a moment before dashing forward, his grip on the katana loosening as he looked at the empty ground in front of him.

Where on _earth_ was his father's body?! Had the Nohrian soldiers taken him as well?

"No. …No. No! **…No!** " Ryoma placed a hand on his forehead before falling to his knees, his hands that were covered in blood- his own or that of others he didn't care- falling to hang limply at his sides as his tears began to fall. **"No!"**

Ryoma proceeded to scream with grief long after he was finally taken away to be reunited with the rest of his family by the few Hoshidan guards who had managed to survive the night.

* * *

Well...that _was_ intense, for me at least. Another song that inspired this particular Chapter is one called **'Leaving Tonight'** and it's by **'The Birthday Massacre'.** This was so difficult to write about but at the same time, it's some of the work that I'm most proud of and now we move our focus along to the aftermath that these events have upon Hoshido and the Hoshidan royal family. Until next time. xXx


	8. A Brother's Vow

Ahh...are you ready for the immediate fallout of the last two Chapters? I bet you are. This Chapter is set just four days after Corrin's kidnap and Sumeragi's death and deals with the Hoshidan family and their reactions to what went down in Cheve.

Yet again, a song by the band **Within Temptation** inspired this Chapter but this one is called **'Somewhere'.** I actually had this Chapter all planned out before I even started to write the story and it's all thanks to that song so...yes, it's vital that-yet again- I put the song name at the top rather than at the bottom. In fact, it's so important that there's actually a quote of some of the lyrics at the top of this Chapter but that's probably going to be a one-off occurrence so don't worry if you don't like that sort of thing.

I don't have much more to say and so I'll just get on with it.

 ***Spoilers Warning*** Definite spoilers about the Avatar's actual relation to the Hoshidan royal family (hopefully people will know what that means and if they don't then that probably means they shouldn't read on). Also, spoilers about certain game events.

*I own nothing to do with 'Fire Emblem [Fates]', its locations, characters etc.*

 **Rated T (Also mild violence and gore in this Chapter so be warned.)**

* * *

'...I'll find you somewhere,  
I'll keep on trying,  
Until my dying day.  
I just need to know,  
Whatever has happened,  
The truth will free my soul...'

\- 'Somewhere'- Within Temptation.

 **Chapter Eight: A Brother's Vow**

The rain continued to lash against the ground for the fourth day in a row; like the sky over Hoshido was mourning the loss of Sumeragi and the kidnap of Corrin in the same way its people were. The sky over the normally bright nation was unusually grey and desolate, matching Ryoma's current mood perfectly.

He was sat in his room, looking out over his beautiful home. It was normally something he'd do to relax and feel at peace as watching the people going about their lives and hearing their laugher would make him smile however at the moment, the streets were barren just like they'd been since the royal family had returned with the news of what had gone down in Cheve. Since then, practically no one had left their home and if they had done, it had been for as brief a period of time as possible. It killed Ryoma to witness the suffering of his people- he wished for them to be happy and to feel safe however he wouldn't deny them of their time to grieve especially since he'd also been inconsolable since the double tragedy.

* * *

When Ryoma had returned to the temporary location that his family and a few guards had been occupying just outside of Cheve, everyone was already rushing about in order to return to Hoshido as soon as possible. Ryoma was still covered in blood, his appearance dishevelled and his expression empty. He hadn't spoken a word to his family as they'd questioned him on what was going on, he hadn't felt the need to nor could he find the words to explain what had happened.

When they finally refused to go any further until they knew the truth, he'd finally had to tell them; Queen Mikoto, Hinoka and Takumi about Sumeragi's death and Corrin's kidnap. He could see the change in their expressions, the confusion they'd felt about being kept in the dark about the reasons behind their sudden departure as it changed to disbelief, like they expected Sumeragi and Corrin to jump out of the shadows and tell them that it had all been a prank in bad taste before finally acceptance and sadness had overtaken all of them except Takumi who had come up to his big brother and tugged on his sleeve.

"We _can't_ go home without Corrin or Daddy, how will they get back to Hoshido?"

Ryoma had bent down and lifted the young boy up into his arms as they started on their way again without answering his brother's question. He didn't know how to answer him; he didn't know what to tell him!

* * *

Even after a few days, they were still all in mourning. Their mother was still looking after Sakura but she looked dead behind the eyes and more often than not Orochi and Yukimura would have to take Sakura off of her hands in order to prevent her from seeing her mother's tears, not like they weren't deeply affected by what had transpired as well.

Hinoka was inconsolable. She'd locked herself in her room and had refused to come out and on the few occasions when Ryoma had seen her, her eyes were red and puffy from crying. She wouldn't talk to anyone and would try to avoid everyone as much as possible.

Ryoma sighed sadly. Since their return, Yukimura was already coming up with plans to get Corrin back and had since sent some Ninja to try and find Corrin's current location. Ryoma had insisted on helping as much as possible but for the moment, all he could do was wait until they received a report.

He went out of his room having made the decision that he needed some fresh air. His retainer pointed out that it was raining buckets outside but he ignored the heads-up and proceeded to step outside anyway.

What awaited him there shocked him to no end. A three-year-old Takumi was facing away from the castle, staring at nothing in particular. He was shivering and looked to be completely soaked however; he seemed to make no move to come inside. There also seemed to be something in his left hand but Ryoma couldn't make out what it was through all of the rain.

"Takumi, come inside! What are you doing out _here?_ You're going to catch a cold."

Ryoma walked out to where his brother was stood and stopped a few steps behind the youngest Hoshidan prince. It really was cold out here! Ryoma wrapped his arms around himself and shuddered as the water proceeded to drip from the ends of his long hair.

Takumi was silent for a moment and Ryoma thought that he wasn't going to reply but then he spoke without looking back at his older brother. "I'm waiting here until Corrin comes back."

Ryoma's eyes widened at his words and it felt as if he'd just been stabbed in the heart by the words. Before he could speak up, Takumi continued, "She promised me that she would come back and there's no way that she would let me down; that isn't the kind of person Corrin is!"

Ryoma grabbed the boy's shoulders and gently turned him to face him; he stared straight into the young boy's eyes and said his words as softly as he could. "Takumi I- I hate to tell you this but…sometimes people can't keep their promises no matter how hard they try to or how much they want to."

Takumi's eyebrows pulled together. "What do you mean? I know now that Daddy is-is never coming back…"-The slight hesitation revealed just how much that particular news had affected the young prince after he'd finally accepted the tragic news.- "But…Corrin is going to come back, right? You said so yourself."

Ryoma gulped before replying, "Yes, _yes_ I did and I meant what I said. I won't rest until Corrin is back with us in Hoshido even if it takes me until my dying day, I will bring her back to us but…there's no guarantee as to when I'll be able to bring her back...or as to what state she'll be brought back _in_."

Takumi giggled at his brother, clearly not accepting that the future in regards to Corrin was an uncertain one. "What are you talking about? We just left Corrin in Cheve for a little longer, right? She'll be catching up to us soon and so I'm going to be the first one to welcome her back. I'm going to stand right here even though it's pouring with rain so that I can prove you wrong, Brother. Corrin is coming back and she's coming back sooner rather than later. I know that because she promised."

Ryoma looked down at the ground as his tears began to fall and he began to shake from more than just the cold. "No…Takumi, listen to me, Corrin isn't still in Cheve. She was taken from us by a bad man- the king of Nohr- she didn't want to go with him but she had no choice, the man who took our Father away also took Corrin but the difference is that we don't know what is happening to Corrin now or what is going to happen to her in the future. Corrin isn't coming back today and it might be years before we see her again."

Takumi's face fell as he took in Ryoma's words. "But-but…she said she wouldn't be gone long and _'years'_ is such a long time I-I don't understand why she would lie to me!"

"She didn't lie to you; she thought it was the truth at the time which is why she said that. I made promises to her as well, I promised to protect her and keep her safe. I promised her that I would never let anything like what happened to her happen to her and I promised her those things because- at the time- I believed I could keep those vows to her but when push came to shove, I just couldn't! I failed her and as a result of my failures, Corrin unintentionally failed you as a knock-on-effect. I'm so sorry, Takumi."

Takumi stumbled out of his brother's grasp and he looked at the object in his hand. Now that he was closer, Ryoma could tell that the object was a small rag doll that belonged to Corrin. Mikoto had given her daughter it as a gift for her first birthday. Ryoma could still recall his sister's happiness at having received the gift. She'd played with it for the remainder of the day and had fallen asleep with it in her arms as she'd sucked her thumb that night, a look of pure contentment on her face.

"That doll-" Ryoma whispered.

"She gave it to me before she left."- Takumi's tone was indifferent as he recalled his last exchange with Corrin a few days ago. - "She told me that it was reassurance of her return, that she couldn't sleep without it and she'd be grumpy if she couldn't sleep."

Ryoma stared at Takumi as he spoke, concern for his brother evident on his face.

The young boy continued to speak, his tone the same as before. "I told her I'd never forgive her if she didn't come back and that I'd only hold onto it for her if she returned."

Suddenly, Takumi's expression became one of pure hatred and seething anger as he threw the doll onto the ground, it became drenched in an instant and Takumi stamped on the doll and it made violent splashes every time his foot pressed down onto it.

Ryoma gasped and went to grab a hold of his brother. "Takumi, stop! You'll regret this later just stop it."

But Takumi just recoiled from his brother. " _ **No!**_ You made promises to her and you broke them and then she did the same to me! Promises are meant to be kept at all costs but you both made them and then went back on your words.

"I don't want Corrin to ever come back! I'll never forgive her for what she did. She shouldn't have gone out there, she shouldn't have told me that she would be coming back for that stupid doll and you should never have made her feel oh-so-protected and safe because then she might not have thrown caution to the wind."

Ryoma winced at his brother's words but Takumi either didn't notice or didn't care as he finished his rant. "I hate your promises, I hate you and I hate Nohr but most of all, I hate Corrin. She was my best friend in the whole world and she betrayed me! Well…I am not going to wait for you anymore _'Sister'_ , your empty promises are all you ever had to offer me and I refuse to believe them anymore!"

"Takumi, that's enough!" Ryoma snapped, he tried yet again to grab his brother but Takumi pulled away again.

"Don't touch me! Don't you dare come near me and offer me your lies as a form of comfort. You promised to bring Corrin back? Well…if that vow is anything like your others- if they're anything like hers- then you're going to break it; it's just a case of when." Takumi spat, looking disgusted and betrayed.

After a couple of moments of silence between the siblings, Takumi's face became stoic as he looked at the doll on the ground one last time, "It's just a case of when.", he repeated under his breath before looking up and meeting Ryoma's shocked gaze for a moment longer with his own before stalking past him and returning to the warmth of the castle without a single glance back.

Ryoma picked the doll up, it was soaked and seemed to be mirroring his sadness and the rain drops made it look like it was crying. "B-but, I will bring Corrin back." The eleven-year-old boy felt his lower lip begin to tremble as he stood in the pouring rain unsure of what to do next.

* * *

It would be a few more days before Ryoma would find out how much Corrin's kidnap was truly affecting one of the other Hoshidan siblings. One evening he stepped outside yet again to get some fresh air. The rain had finally stopped and the atmosphere in the palace gardens was calm and tranquil. That may have had something to do with the fact that it was shortly after midnight and so there was no one around except for a few castle guards.

Ryoma was wearing his night clothes and had his hair tied up, his bare feet continued to make contact with the ground as he strolled the castle premises. His arms were folded across his chest and he was being unusually quiet and his usual kind smile was instead replaced with a slight frown, just like it had been since his last 'conversation' with a broken Takumi.

He recalled a memory of how Corrin used to spend her days strolling around these same grounds with her feet bare. Mikoto would worry constantly about her daughter's safety. She would always insist on checking Corrin's feet for cuts but- for some reason- she never had any. However one day, Corrin managed to convince a reluctant Hinoka to also stroll around in bare feet. They walked together for a while with no problems and then all of a sudden, Hinoka cried out in pain. Takumi and he both came running to see what had happened only to find Hinoka in floods of tears on the grass, holding her foot which had splinter in it.

Despite his sullen mood, Ryoma found himself smiling slightly at the memory of Corrin's shocked and confused expression when she realised that the bottom of Hinoka's foot had been injured somehow. Apparently, Corrin really had never heard of a 'splinter' before.

He found himself in the castle gardens at the back when he saw it. There was a hooded figure quickly stalking away from the castle; looking around shiftily in order to see if they had been spotted by someone before they began to stroll off into the distance yet again, their footsteps silent and swift. Ryoma's eyebrows pulled together as he quickly chased after the figure.

"Hey, stop!" He called out to them; his arm outstretched as he tried to get their attention. The figure turned to face him before jumping back and scrambling off.

The cloaked figure clearly wasn't a specialist or anything despite their original air of confidence as the second they heard Ryoma call out to them, they panicked and fell over a tree root. Whilst this was going on, Ryoma was mentally kicking himself for calling out to someone who could've possibly been an enemy and was quick to realise that he hadn't trained since the events in Cheve which may have contributed to his rustiness. However, he did quickly realise that it wasn't an enemy when the hood fell back to reveal Hinoka, wide-eyed and fearful as she looked at her elder brother's face.

"Hinoka? What are you _doing_?"

The young girl picked herself up with as much dignity as she could muster as she pulled the hood back up and faced away from her brother whilst she explained, "I'm going to get Corrin back from those Nohrian fiends."

Ryoma jumped back in shock when he heard those words. Completely bemused, he spoke up again, " ** _What?!_** You can't be serious, Hinoka! We don't even have a report on a possible location for Corrin! Even if by some miracle you managed to survive a trip into Nohr, you wouldn't know where to go from there. Also, there is no way you can possibly take on all of Nohr by yourself let alone the king- you know- the one who took Corrin from us? Giant, scary guy? Has a little bit of an attitude problem? Wields a giant axe? Whilst _you_ can barely fight let alone defeat him and save Corrin and what would happen if you got kidnapped or hurt or killed? What would happen then, huh? You're too important for Hoshido to lose."

"And Corrin isn't?" Hinoka hit back, turning to face him with tears in her eyes. "I don't care what happens to me! Why should I? Those monsters have my sister- **_our_** sister and for all we know they could be torturing her right this second! She could be on the brink of death even as we speak. Yet here I am, still safe and sound in the Hoshidan palace, with guards to protect me and a family to love me; why am I any more important than _her?_ Why am I entitled to be here where it's safe and yet…she _isn't!_ She can't be! Because _they_ have her and _she's_ a princess of Hoshido, there's no way that they're treating her well and that's if she's even still _alive._ I have to- I have-"

Ryoma wrapped his arms around his younger sister as she began to shake and cry. "Shh…shh…Hinoka, I've thought all of the same things as you, I'm still thinking them but…"- He hesitated for a moment.- "No matter how we look at it, no matter how bad our thoughts become, we can't let them cloud our judgement. We can't just storm into Nohr without a plan if we did and then we died or got kidnapped ourselves then who would be around to save Corrin? We have to think rationally about this otherwise we'll never get Corrin back!"

Hinoka's eyes widened at her brother's conviction as she pulled back to look at him, her lips pursed as she considered his words. She wiped her tears away with the back of her hand. "You're right, Ryoma. Of course you are but…I love Corrin so much; I don't know how to function or how to go about my days without her. How could this happen to _our_ sister? Why did it have to happen to such an innocent and pure soul?"

Ryoma's guilt began to consume him again, if he had been stronger then Corrin may still be with them now but he hadn't been; he'd failed Corrin, his father, his mother, his siblings and Hoshido. He'd failed so many people and so…who was he to make the call about the right move to make now?...

* * *

 _"You're going to make a great king one day, Ryoma. You have such conviction and determination behind your eyes. You're nothing like how I was when I was your age." Sumeragi smiled at his son as he lay back against the grass underneath the cherry tree that they'd visited shortly after Sakura's birth._

 _"What do you mean, Father?" Ryoma asked, returning his father's rueful grin with a slight smile of his own._

 _"I was rough around the edges when I was younger, the duties of a king well…I never thought I'd inherit them even though I was a prince. Even now, being a king is not something I enjoy but I understand that it is my duty but back then, I used to avoid thinking about it too much. I never wanted to be a king and- to be honest- I still don't believe that I'm cut out for it."_

 _Ryoma was about to object when his father cut him off. "But **you** , Ryoma, you're so responsible; you care for both your family and your kingdom and obtain pleasure from it, you're different from me in that respect, I only get joy out of caring for my family even though I'd still gladly defend Hoshido with my life. But you honestly love both of your duties. In all honesty; you're a rather strange kid but…I wouldn't have you any other way especially since your love for both your kingdom and your family is what is going to make you such a great king when you're older. If you're lucky and you work hard enough, you might even become the greatest king Hoshido has ever known, in fact, you might even become the greatest king the world has ever known as long as you stick to your convictions…no matter what…"_

* * *

As Ryoma reflected back on his father's words now, he felt agony ripping through him yet again. He hadn't stuck to his convictions, if he had then his father might still be alive and Corrin would be safe in Hoshido. Takumi would be happy and so would Hinoka and Mikoto.

But…he _couldn't_ change the past; all he could do now is learn from his mistakes and find the will and strength to make things right, to become a man worthy of the title of Hoshido's king and of his family.

He grabbed Hinoka's hand and as they walked back towards the castle, Ryoma felt his resolve hardening. Both of the siblings didn't speak another word to each other and Ryoma ordered one of the guards to make sure that Hinoka returned to her room safely before stalking off to his own room.

On his way there, he made a quick stop at Sakura's room. The young girl was in there with Mikoto who had taken over as the ruler of Hoshido for the time being.

"Ryoma?"- Mikoto wiped the tears out of her eyes when she spotted him. - "How can I help you?"

"Mother, I just wanted to say that I will make you proud. I will make all of you proud and I will bring Corrin back to Hoshido no matter what it takes."

Mikoto looked rather stunned by her son's sudden outburst but then she smiled warmly at him as Sakura shifted restlessly in her lap. "I'm already proud of you and I'm sure that everyone else is too. I wish I could share your optimism about Corrin's return but…when you're a mother, you can't help but picture the worst things befalling your children when they're not around you for you to protect however, if anyone can bring her back then it's you Ryoma."

Ryoma nodded at the woman and he bent down to press a kiss to both her forehead and Sakura's before leaving the room. Mikoto watched the boy as he went; he reminded her so much of Sumeragi that it hurt a little however, he was still such a character in his own right, determined and strong-willed yet so incredibly kind and gentle. For the first time since the events in Cheve, Mikoto found herself smiling slightly as she came to the conclusion that maybe-just maybe- everything would be okay.

* * *

When Ryoma finally managed to get back to his room, he looked at the Raijinto that had been placed in there after it had been cleaned since it now belonged to him. He wasn't ready to wield it yet, that much was obvious. But he knew what he had to do to become worthy of the blade that had aided his father and his ancestors throughout all of their hardships and trials.

"I _must_ strengthen my conviction, no matter what it takes. I must find the power and the resolve to serve my kingdom, my family and my people." He murmured to himself. He stood in front of his mirror as he unsheathed the blade, holding it in front of his face as he hardened his gaze. "I swear upon this blade that I will bring Corrin back to Hoshido even if it kills me. She _is_ a princess of Hoshido, nothing will _ever_ change that; not time nor hardships, distance nor blood. I doubted my abilities once- that's what got us into this mess but I'll _never_ do it _again_. For as long as I live and breathe, I _vow_ to protect Hoshido and my family…always."

As the sun began to rise over Hoshido, Ryoma looked out of his window in the general direction of Nohr; his sister was being kept somewhere within its borders and he wouldn't rest until she was safely back here within Hoshido's. Come hell or high water, the lion would reunite his pride even if it took him a life-time to do it.

* * *

So...did you like me reference to the fact Ryoma's outfit within the game is supposed to resemble a lion? Hey! I can hear you people with your lobster puns! Stop it, stop it right now! *ahem* Anyway...until next time. xXx


	9. A Sister's Grief

Hello everyone! Thank you for stopping by. Chapter Nine of this story welcomes you with open arms.

A few things before we start, a huge thank you to people who have left me reviews or decided to favourite and/or to follow this story. You're all awesome pops! I would like to address a couple of things brought up in a guest review by someone called 'xMousex' as they may all be things that other readers are also interested in hearing about. Azura will be brought into the story at some point as will her time with the Hoshidan royals but not for a few more Chapters yet and as for Corrin's time in Nohr? Well...I'm a little conflicted about that. Trust me, I do plan on covering it at some point however, originally, it was going to be featured in a story separate from this one as this is supposed to focus on the Hoshidan royals and their relationships with Corrin before the events in 'Fates' however, some of the context for a story like that would be found in this one and so...I'm not really sure where to put it especially since I would have no idea where to put Corrin's return to Hoshido. I may have come up with a plan but it's nothing concrete and so if anyone has any suggestions then let me know. As for involving the retainers more? Maybe I could squeeze something in, no guarantees, though.

Also, you know in the last Chapter when I said the song quote was going to be a one off? It was a lie well...it wasn't actually a lie at the time but it has since changed as there was a particular set of lyrics from a song that inspired this Chapter and they're so significant that they have to be featured at the top of this Chapter but the song itself isn't in its entirety all that important so I'll put the name at the bottom like I normally do. I'll still try to keep quotes from songs to a minimum however, as I know some people really don't like them being used.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy this Chapter. I loved writing this one (even though I was struggling in the beginning) so I'm glad to be sharing it with you!

 ***Spoilers Warning*** Definite spoilers about the Avatar's actual relation to the Hoshidan royal family (hopefully people will know what that means and if they don't then that probably means they shouldn't read on). Also, spoilers about certain game events.

*I own nothing to do with 'Fire Emblem [Fates]', its locations, characters etc.*

 **Rated T (Also mild violence, language and gore in this Chapter so be warned.)**

* * *

'...Well you can stare all day at the sky,  
But that won't bring her back,  
That won't bring her back.  
You say you're waiting on fate,  
But I think fate is now,  
I think fate is now,  
Waiting on us...'

\- 'Bouncing Off Clouds'- Tori Amos.

 **Chapter Nine: A Sister's Grief**

Hinoka sighed to herself softly.

She was sitting down on a bench in the palace gardens, staring out at all of the different flowers that were moving gently in the wind. It had been nearly three whole months since her little sister, Corrin, had been kidnapped and despite numerous attempts to find her and to bring her back; they still weren't anywhere closer to being reunited with the tiny girl with her sweet smile and her bright eyes.

Every day was incredibly painful for Hinoka. Everything reminded her of Corrin: a picture that the young girl drew before she was taken, the smell of Corrin's favourite food or even just seeing her other siblings and the effect that Corrin's kidnap was having on them. She had barely stopped crying since what had happened and no matter how hard she tried to stop, she just couldn't bring herself to. It felt like the second she stopped crying would be the second that she accepted that Corrin was no longer with them and she just couldn't accept that! She couldn't accept that Nohr had robbed her of all that she held dear to her!

"Are you ready, Hinoka?"

The young girl looked up at her brother, Ryoma who was carrying two practise swords. He'd changed a lot in the short period of time since their father's death and what had happened to Corrin. He'd become more dignified and prince-like. He was no longer the youthful, playful brother who she would bicker with and spend her free time with; no in fact, he was now extremely cautious and guarded and there seemed to be a deep wisdom behind his eyes that didn't used to be there.

He also dressed more like a respectable prince than he'd ever done before; having adopted a red, white and gold outfit motif with armour to match. He'd even started to wear a mask that made him appear more intimidating than he actually was especially when combined with his wild hair but he was still incredibly kind and good-natured despite his new look suggesting otherwise.

It was hard to believe that he was only twelve-years-old and sort of upsetting as well, no child should have support the weight of the world upon their shoulders…but, their father's death had left very little room for him to object and even though Mikoto was the acting queen for the moment, the majority of Hoshido still had more faith in Ryoma's abilities to lead them during these difficult times than in her abilities and even Hinoka was inclined to agree with them.

"Ugh…Ryoma, I don't think I'm cut out to wield swords. Every time you try to train me, I just mess everything up. Even Takumi is showing more promise with swords than I am and he's only _three_!"

Ryoma smirked at her, "Now, now, you're never going to get anywhere with that attitude now, are you?"

Hinoka made a disgusted sound and turned away from him to hide the blush rising in her cheeks. "Ugh…do you really have to tease me like that? Not all of us were born with _your_ natural skill."

Ryoma didn't look at all put-off by the comment and continued to look rather amused by his sister's reluctance. "Maybe not but that doesn't mean that you can't learn a thing or two from me. It will benefit you in the long run _especially_ if you really are serious about helping me to bring Corrin back."

Hinoka's face fell when he said her name and she clutched her hands to her heart; it felt like he'd just reopened a very painful wound and the six- going on seven-year-old- felt the tears begin to brim in her eyes again.

Ryoma suddenly became concerned by his sister's swift change in mood and placed the two swords to one side as he bent down in front of her. "Hey, hey, I'm sorry, I know that it's still a sensitive topic- for you and me both- but…we have to try to find the will to carry on somehow. If we don't move forward, then we won't get her back." He smiled at her reassuringly.

"She shouldn't have been taken from us at all!" Hinoka hit the bench underneath her, her right hand clenched tightly into a fist as she squeezed her eyes shut, trying to hold the tears back and get her rage under control.

Ryoma's expression darkened at that as he turned his head away, "That's true but she has been and we can't change that now, all we can do is make things right one day."

Hinoka's expression became one of determination as she looked in the direction of the swords. "Come on, Ryoma, let's begin. I'm going to practise until I bleed if that's what it takes for me to become strong enough to save Corrin from those monsters."

Ryoma raised an eyebrow at her as they both stood up. "Err…I don't think it's generally advised to practise until you bleed or if it is then I somehow must have missed the memo during my _own_ training sessions over the years."

She hit him playfully and they both laughed. This was the closest they had gotten to having a moment similar to those they had shared before the double tragedy and it felt…oddly familiar to her to have this sort of relationship with her older brother.

Maybe some things never really change.

* * *

"Ugh…why am I no good at _this_?!"

Hinoka cried out her frustration as she fell onto the floor, clutching her knees to her chest as she rested her head on them.

After practising for a few hours under Ryoma's tuition, it had been established that they were well on their way to yet another failed training session. When Ryoma was called away to deal with an emergency, Hinoka had gone inside for a bite to eat before heading to the training hall instead of returning outside to practise. She had spent the last few hours going over what Ryoma had tried to teach her but no matter how hard she tried, she just couldn't grasp how to use a sword properly.

"I need to get stronger somehow; Ryoma can't be expected to save Corrin all by himself." Hinoka cried out.

She'd never felt so useless in all of her days however, unlike Ryoma who had practically been training and preparing to fulfil his duties and role since he'd left the womb and had shown a natural knack for a multitude of different things, Hinoka had led a much more sheltered upbringing. She'd spent most of her time playing with Corrin and being involved with her fun and games. The few princess duties she had hadn't involved a lot of combat training even if she had always had the option to learn if she wanted to but- up until recently- she'd always refused to take the lessons as she'd seen no reason to learn how to fight.

As embarrassing as it was to admit, Hinoka had never seen any need to learn how to fight when she knew that both Ryoma and her father were more than capable of looking after her. The only one who knew that that was her reason for refusing to take lessons was Corrin and Corrin had rolled her eyes at her sister's reasoning…

* * *

 _"You never know when it might come in handy, Sister." Corrin had scolded as she partook in her own sword training._

 _"That's true but…I just don't feel comfortable with the idea of learning how to fight I mean, I don't think I'll ever have a good enough reason to take up arms."_

 _Corrin's eyes widened and her tone was shocked as she asked her next question, "What about for Hoshido and for your family?"_

 _Hinoka deliberated for a moment before responding, "Well…I love both of them dearly, of course I do however…I like to think that I can look after and support both the people of Hoshido and my family in other ways than physically defending them. Don't get me wrong, if there comes a time when I find a cause that I feel dedicated enough to take up arms for then I will do but I doubt that time will ever come…"_

* * *

Oh, how wrong could she have possibly have been? If she had known how to fight then her father may have taken her with him to Cheve or she may have been able to help Corrin somehow and things wouldn't be how they are now.

That's why she was dedicated to learning how to fight now but…no matter how hard she tried, she just couldn't grasp how to handle a sword; the movements felt clumsy and inept. She had no idea how both her father and Ryoma had made it look so easy!

Just then, she heard soft footsteps approach her; she looked up to spot the last person that she wanted to see. "What do _you_ want?" Hinoka asked, her tone hostile.

"I could try to teach you how to wield a bow and arrow if you want." Mikoto said softly to the young girl.

Since Ryoma had made his vow to her that day in Sakura's room, Mikoto had been dealing with things rather well when around others but when she was alone with either Kagero and/or Orochi, she would struggle to keep it together however, Hinoka had been taking Mikoto's rather indifferent attitude in public as a sign that she didn't care about Corrin's disappearance but by now, Mikoto expected Hinoka to come to the worst conclusions about her nevertheless, she still treated the girl with the same kindness and dignity she treated others with.

In fact, the only thing that Mikoto had ever done that Hinoka seemingly approved of was putting a magical barrier around Hoshido in order to protect it from the attacks Nohr kept sending their way after the events in Cheve in order to provoke them even further in the hopes of sparking a war. Just the thought of Nohr made Hinoka feel sick especially when their King claimed that they were perfectly within their rights to try and attack Hoshido as Sumeragi had taken up arms against him (but conveniently left out the detail that Sumeragi was trying to protect Corrin at the time when using the excuse to appease his people) and because Hoshidan ninja and soldiers kept trying to force their way into Nohr (but yet again, he would leave out the detail about this only being the case as they were trying to get Corrin back).

Hinoka's bottom lip jutted out and she folded her arms across her chest, "No thank you, a bow and arrow is much too fiddly for me to handle."

"You never know, you might actually be good with one-"

"I said no! No means no, I don't want you to try and teach me anything, I just want you to leave me _alone_."

She stormed off without looking back at the baffled woman behind her.

She left the castle and went out to get some fresh air. She looked in the direction of Nohr. Hinoka found herself wondering about Corrin; was she still alive? If so then…what were they doing to her? Did she miss her big sister in the same way that she missed Corrin?

She couldn't stop imagining that small mite of a girl; alone and afraid and missing her life in Hoshido. Corrin loved her four siblings and her mother so much and they all loved her in return; their lives were almost unbearable without her so…how would life be for her without them?

She looked up at the sky, gazing at the stars whilst wondering if Corrin was also doing the same wherever she was; Corrin loved to look at the stars when she was upset in order to calm down. "Corrin…why did the Nohrians have to take you from us? I will never understand how they can justify doing such a thing to you. You were so brave and yet so stupid that day when you decided to follow them into Cheve. If only I were as half as brave as you then what happened that day might have been prevented I- I'm so sorry, sister."

"Hinoka!"

Hinoka looked towards the sound of the panicked voice and saw Takumi rushing towards her as fast as he could; panting as he ran.

"Takumi?! What is it, what's wrong?" She bent down to the young boy's level and placed her hands upon his shoulders.

There were tears in his eyes as he gasped for breath; he placed his hands on his knees as he looked at her. "It-it's Ryoma; one of the soldiers that went with him to take care of the emergency has come back and they're gravely wounded. They've said that Ryoma and the remaining soldiers are in trouble; a Hoshidan village has been attacked by some unknown enemies and it caught them off-guard. We have to help them!"

Takumi's relationship with Ryoma had been healing ever since their spat shortly after Corrin's kidnap however, there was still some obvious tension between the brothers nevertheless, it was still obvious that the young boy was afraid for his elder brother's well-being.

"I'm on it. I've already failed one sibling; I _refuse_ to fail another." Hinoka looked around herself and spotted a young soldier brushing a Pegasus with a naginata resting against a nearby wall.

Hinoka rushed over to the bemused young man, "I'm so sorry but I'm going to have to borrow these." She made a grab for his weapon and he pulled back in shock as she mounted the Pegasus.

"Pr-Princess Hinoka, what in the blazes do you think you're **_doing?!_** Get down this instant!"

"No, my brother is in trouble. Takumi, quickly, where is this village?"

Takumi's eyes were wide as he stared at his sister. "It-it's to the north, I don't know the exact location."

"To the north, right, I got you." _There aren't many Hoshidan villages in the north_ \- she thought to herself as she finally got the Pegasus off of the ground.

She looked back to spot the two figures she'd just left behind; both of them looked completely frozen with their mouths agape as they stared after her.

Despite it being incredibly dark, Hinoka didn't feel afraid as the Pegasus carried her in fact, the only thing she was worried about was how to handle the weapon she now carried on her person. She had no experience with a naginata whatsoever! Well…she was going to have to learn quickly.

"Where are they?" She murmured when she knew they were approaching the nearby northern villages that were illuminated slightly by fires.

 **"Gah!"** A male voice called out into the night and Hinoka could make out the signs of people fighting in the distance as well as this she could hear monstrous sounds all around her none of which sounded remotely human.

 _Just what were they dealing with here?!_ She thought to herself as she flew closer hoping that she wasn't about to make a huge mistake in judgement.

* * *

Ryoma used his blade to cut through yet another of the grotesque beasts that just seemed to keep on coming no matter how many he cut down. They weren't necessarily difficult to beat but the sheer number of them coupled together with the fact that the soldiers weren't prepared to deal with them meant that many a good person had lost their lives this evening.

Including the young man that Ryoma had sent back to the palace most probably. He just hoped that he got there in time to ask for help before he lost his life. Ryoma grimaced slightly at the thought of such a decent person losing their life to one of these…things.

Just then, another one of the giant green monsters came stumbling out of the shadows towards Ryoma making the most…inhumane noises he'd ever heard in his life. He turned around to deal with the monstrosity when all of a sudden, he felt a huge force smacking into him and he was thrown backwards, his head snapping back against a tree and his bones cracking in one of his wrists. "Argh!" He whimpered as he crumbled to the ground, dropping his weapon as he fell.

He grabbed his injured wrist. "Damn it!" He snarled as he looked up and realised that he was surrounded by these faceless beings. _Huh…an apt name: 'Faceless'._ He thought to himself. _Nohrian mages are certainly creative, I'll give them that._

Of course, Nohrian soldiers hadn't been able to cause a ruckus in Hoshido since Mikoto created the barrier but apparently, they'd found a way to work around that by creating beings that weren't affected by it.

"Sorry to tell you this-"- He looked up at the growling beasts around him. - "But I can't die _here_ , I have a sister to save and a family and kingdom to protect. I refuse to die at your _'hands'_."

Apparently, the monsters didn't appreciate his attitude as one of them raised their fists, preparing for an attack. Ryoma looked around himself for anything he could do to fight back since he could no longer wield his katana; if he was just able to wield the Raijinto then he wouldn't have this problem! He'd still be able to attack and defend himself even if he would have to handle the weapon differently from an ordinary katana but…he still wasn't ready which was an inconvenience for him right at this moment in time.

Suddenly, he heard a female voice cut through the night air. **"Get away from my brother!"**

He squinted up at the sky as a female with flaming red hair swooped down from the sky on top of a Pegasus, whilst holding a naginata. She attacked one of the beasts with the weapon and Ryoma was incredibly surprised to say the least. He'd be able to recognise that girl from anywhere; it was definitely Hinoka but…he'd never seen her use a naginata _before!_ Nor had he ever seen her ride a Pegasus before and yet…she displayed such magnificent skill with both of them as she took care of the monsters one after another. She looked wild, strong and determined.

He was _really_ glad that he wasn't on the receiving end of her attacks.

After she took care of them, she turned back to her brother whilst gasping for breath. "Are you all right, Ryoma?"

Ryoma shook his head as if to clear it before joining her and answering her question, "For the most part but I've really hurt my wrist. I might have broken it."

She sighed, relieved. "As long as you're alive, that's all that matters after all; I can't save Corrin without your help."

As he looked around him at the numerous bodies of the fallen Faceless that were cut down by Hinoka alone, he smiled at her. "Maybe not but by the looks of things, I can't save Corrin without your help either. Who knew you could use a naginata _that_ effectively?"

She laughed at his comment. "Not even _I_ did, Ryoma."- She met his gaze, a look of pride in her eyes. - "Not even _I_ did."

* * *

 **"Happy birthday, Hinoka!"** Everyone cheered as she sat at the end of the table, smiling as all of her loved ones gathered around her as she beamed up at them all.

She had just turned seven today and for the first time in months, she felt incredibly happy. Of course, this day was just as bittersweet as all the ones before it and as bittersweet as all the ones that were going to come after it. Until Corrin was safely back in Hoshido with her family, Hinoka's days would never be truly complete or truly happy however, she had to carry on living. Corrin would never forgive her if she let her pain consume her and turn her into a cruel, twisted and bitter person.

"Thank you so much everyone! I love you all so _very_ much." She hugged her siblings to her before turning to her cake.

"Are you going to make a wish?" Sakura asked her.

"Yep, I am but you can all probably guess what I'm going to wish for anyway."

All of them nodded in agreement apart from Takumi and Sakura; Takumi due to his current feelings towards their missing sibling and Sakura because she was still too young to fully understand what had happened to their sister, maybe even too young to know who she was at all.

"It'll be the same wish that I'll make up until the day we're all together again." Ryoma murmured, a slight smile on his lips but a deep sadness behind his eyes.

Sakura looked between her two eldest siblings. "What wish is _that_?"

Hinoka looked at the candles on her cake and stated her wish out for all to hear: "I wish to be reunited with Corrin and to have the strength to bring her back. But until that day, I wish for her safety and her happiness.

"I love you, Corrin." She whispered under her breath before closing her eyes and blowing out the candles.

* * *

That afternoon, she found herself standing outside, looking up at the sky. The breeze caught the ends of her hair, blowing them wildly around her face.

"I thought I might find you out here." Ryoma said amusement in his tone. He was still sporting the wrist injury that he had obtained that night at the hand of the things (that he'd nicknamed as 'Faceless') that had been sent from Nohr that could get past the barrier.

He walked towards her and stood next to her as she looked back up at the sky. "I've made up my mind about something." She said, softly, not meeting her brother's gaze.

"Hmm, and what would _that_ be?"

"I'm going to master the naginata and become a Sky Knight."

Ryoma raised an eyebrow at her as his expression became disapproving. "Hmm…"

"I know what you're going to say but before you do, I know now that I can't just waltz right into Nohr and demand Corrin back but maybe-just maybe- I'll be able to fly there and save her and I know that that sounds like a stupid plan and it may never happen but as I am now, I can't help her at all but if I do this, if I can learn to use the naginata and if I can learn to fly a Pegasus properly then…at least then I have a chance to help her and in the meantime, I can use those skills to help benefit and protect Hoshido and my family here."

She looked up at her brother unsure of how he was going to respond. He stood in silence for what felt like an eternity before he spoke up again. "You're right, it _is_ a stupid plan."

Hinoka's face fell when her brother confirmed that but before she could object or argue back, he continued to speak. "However, your heart is in the right place. I know you're still so angry at and feel so much hatred for the Nohrians for what happened in Cheve that day and for taking Corrin from us and from what I've heard from Sky Knights; you can't master a Pegasus with such…impure emotions ripe in your heart but…if that hatred and anger were the only things driving you then you wouldn't have been able to rescue me that night because the Pegasus wouldn't have even set off flying if those emotions had been controlling your actions that evening.

"You still have a lot to learn, sister, that much is obvious but you show so much promise. Understandably, I will _always_ have _some_ objections to this wish but that's mainly because you're my little sister and I don't want anything bad to happen to you however, I would rather you were able to defend yourself and be able to fight after all, these are dark times for Hoshido and for our family."

The two siblings smiled at each other. "I'm so proud of _you_ , Hinoka and no doubt, you'll continue to make me proud and when we see Corrin again, no doubt she'll feel just as much pride as I do when I look at you and I can't wait to be there to witness that moment."

Hinoka hugged her brother tightly as she thanked him for his words; she was glad that he couldn't see the tears that had begun to brim in her eyes again; they were no longer tears of grief no, instead they were ones of happiness at finally finding her place in the Hoshidan royal family, her purpose for fighting and her reason for living.

"I'm coming for you, Corrin." She whispered looking up at the sky again as she continued to hold Ryoma tightly. She saw a Pegasus fly overhead and smiled as it flew with such dignity and grace into the distance almost as if to show her what she should be aiming for and what she would one day achieve.

* * *

I'm so glad that this Chapter got to show us a lot more of Hinoka! *Yeahy for Hinoka! Wooh!* Anyway, the song that inspired this Chapter is called **'Bouncing Off Clouds'** and it's by **Tori Amos.** Until next time. xXx


	10. A Prince's Duty

Okay, I really need to make these Chapters shorter. I don't have much to say about this particular one which is good as it allows you to just get on with reading it! If you've read the last two Chapters and worked out what I'm doing then you should be able to guess who this Chapter focuses predominantly on. I hope you enjoy.

 ***Spoilers Warning*** Definite spoilers about the Avatar's actual relation to the Hoshidan royal family (hopefully people will know what that means and if they don't then that probably means they shouldn't read on). Also, spoilers about certain game events.

*I own nothing to do with 'Fire Emblem [Fates]', its locations, characters etc.*

 **Rated T**

* * *

 **Chapter Ten: A Prince's Duty**

"Can you believe that it's almost been a year since the events in Cheve?" A female servant murmured.

"I _know_ -"- Another young woman sighed. - "It's still all so surreal; I can hardly wrap my head around how tragic of a day it was and Princess Corrin still hasn't been found…"

The two castle servants strolled off as the young boy remained hidden behind a wall, trying his very best to go unnoticed as he snooped in on their conversation. So…they were still on about his _'sister'_ , huh?

Nearly a year on from her being taken from them by the king of Nohr, the people of Hoshido still focused the majority of their time and attention to Corrin either through talking about her, thinking about her or trying to aid with the attempts to get her back even though they had all ended in vain thus far.

It made him feel sick if he thought about it for too long. Why did they all still care so much about her? She was either already dead, still alive but suffering or still alive and being brainwashed by the Nohrians. Regardless, she was either never coming back or-if she did- then she wouldn't be the same person that she was before she was taken. Surely they should focus on the remaining members of the Hoshidan royal family that still remained rather than on one that was no longer there?

But…even those remaining royals themselves dedicated all of their efforts and time to Corrin. Ryoma was in charge of the rescue efforts and was working alongside Yukimura to work out their next move, Hinoka spent all of her time practising to become a Sky Knight in the hopes of using those skills to bring her back from Nohr and both of them were teaching a two-year-old Sakura all about the sister that was taken from them.

Meanwhile, Takumi was left in her shadow all because unlike the rest of Hoshido, he wasn't as besotted with Corrin or even slightly keen with the idea of getting her back. He'd recently turned four and on his birthday, he'd been expected to make the same wish that both Ryoma and Hinoka had vowed to make on their birthdays but he'd point blank refused to do so; he was a person in his own right and he shouldn't have to base all of his life choices around someone who wasn't there to witness the consequences of them! Also, it was her fault that Takumi was no longer the same younger brother who used to worship the ground that she walked on. She had broken her promise to him, it'd be hypocritical of him to break the promise that he'd made to her in return:

 _"…I'll never forgive you if you don't come back, though…"_

He was doing a very good job of keeping to his word much to the annoyance of Hinoka (who still didn't know about his reasons for not being thrilled with the prospect of Corrin returning to Hoshido one day) and Ryoma (who felt more guilty than anything else but still couldn't understand why he was so determined to bear a grudge against his sister despite knowing of their last conversation before Corrin had set out to Cheve).

Takumi sighed and started to walk down the corridor towards the training hall which was currently occupied by Ryoma and his retainer, Saizo. After the events in Cheve, Saizo's twin brother, Kaze, hadn't been seen around Hoshido in the months since however, this didn't seem to bother Saizo all that much- maybe he knew of his brother's whereabouts? Not like it was Takumi's place to question him about it.

"We will be leaving at noon tomorrow, best be prepared, Saizo."

"Yes, my lord, I will be ready." Saizo replied before disappearing into thin air, Takumi couldn't understand how ninja did that, it was a little eerie if he was being honest with himself.

Ryoma turned to face his brother with a smile, "Yes, Takumi, how may I help you?"

Takumi went to the storeroom where the practise weapons were kept, pretending that he was actually planning to do some training rather than admit that he was just snooping around the castle because he was bored. "Where are you going tomorrow?"

Ryoma's expression turned serious in an instant as he replied, "We've got a tipoff about a potential location for Corrin, nothing concrete but it's best to check it out anyway. If it turns out to be correct then I'll be back in a few days and if it turns out to be false? _Well_ …I should be back by the time the sun sets tomorrow."

Takumi made a disgusted noise in the back of his throat as he turned to his elder brother, "Why don't you just give up _already?!_ This is completely pointless! Our people are _constantly_ being taken by Nohr or losing their lives and freedom at the hands of those monsters and yet we don't go out of our way to do anything to help them."

Ryoma closed his eyes. "If an opportunity to help them presented itself then of course I would act on it immediately just as I am doing _now_ however, the lack of concern for your own sister is disconcerting to say the least." He then proceeded to pick up his practise sword without saying another word.

Takumi just watched his brother for a little while as he mulled over his words. Not only did Takumi have to contend with living in the shadow of his sister but he also had cope with living in his brother's as well! To the people of Hoshido, Ryoma was perfect in every sense of the word; kind, gentle but firm and proud. He was able to lead his people, protect his family and solve almost any problem that came his way.

 _Meanwhile, I'm treated like the runt of the litter._ Takumi thought to himself bitterly. _I'll never be able to compete with him._

"Do you _really_ want her to come back? What if she isn't the same sister you know and love?" Takumi asked whilst staring at the wall.

The sounds of a sword slicing through the air halted and all was silent for a moment. "Well… _I'm_ not the same brother that I once was. I've learned from my mistakes and grown and changed as a person but that doesn't mean that Corrin won't still know and love me. If anything, I'd be more worried if she _hadn't_ changed in the time we've been apart. I just-I just wish that I could be there to see her grow up."

Pain flitted across his elder brother's features and Takumi regretted asking him about it. Yes…his brother was seen as this perfect being but Takumi was one of the few people that got to see behind that façade; he got to see his brother's pain, he knew of his regrets and even if Takumi wasn't that bothered about Corrin, that didn't change the fact that her kidnap had had an effect on Ryoma, Hinoka and their mother- Mikoto. Those three would do _anything_ \- give up _anything_ \- to be reunited with her and nothing Takumi ever said or did would change that.

He busied himself by picking up a bow and arrow. Recently his mother had been helping to teach him how to use one as he'd taken a liking to the feel of one however, Ryoma was still helping to teach him how to wield a sword as well. At the moment, he wasn't really dedicated to either weapon type, though, and was just dabbling in both.

"Listen, Takumi, I know that you're still angry at Corrin for breaking her promise to you but…it really couldn't be helped. Your trust has been battered and bruised but that's no reason to allow yourself to become so bitter. It won't benefit you in the long run."

Takumi's eyes narrowed on the target in front of him before he fired the arrow, "Maybe not but…it could be argued that it's better to be safe than sorry." He let another arrow loose and it hit the target dead centre. He moved the bow away so he could admire his handiwork before turning to gauge Ryoma's reaction.

Ryoma looked disappointed with his brother and he shook his head before storming off without saying another word. Did he do that because he despaired over Takumi's apparent lack of forgiveness for Corrin? Why didn't he even take a moment to comment on his skill with a bow and arrow?

Of course, everyone praised Ryoma's skill all of the time and ignored his. He groaned in frustration; was it truly his fate to forever live in the shadow of all his elder siblings and not just Corrin's? He looked around himself feeling incredibly alone and underappreciated and bowed his head. "I'll never be good enough, will I?" He sighed as a singular tear fell down his cheek.

* * *

"Look, they're back!" Sakura shouted excitedly as she pointed at figures approaching the castle, the sun setting behind them whilst she tugging at Takumi's sleeve all the while.

"It means the tipoff was false then."- He observed- "Looks like Hinoka and Ryoma are going to be in a foul mood again. Best be prepared, sis."

 _"Huh?"_ The little girl looked confused by his words before she bounded off as soon as she saw Ryoma approach in order to welcome him home. He wasn't the one leading the troops but was actually in the centre, he was still too young to lead the troops himself for the most part but often still accompanied them on missions such as this especially ones that were supposed to help to bring Corrin back.

She walked giddily over to him and he picked her up and hugged her tightly. Hinoka was flying nearby and she swooped down to join them, from this distance, Takumi couldn't hear what was being said but he didn't particularly care. He was just about to turn around to go back inside of the castle when he heard Ryoma call his name.

"What is it?" He asked his brother, arms folded across his chest as Ryoma ran up to him, Sakura was now in Hinoka's arms as she stood next to her Pegasus in order to allow the young girl to stroke its wing.

"As you know, three days from now it'll be exactly one year since Corrin was taken from us."

"Yeah…what of it?"

"Like every time we set off out following a new potential lead to Corrin, we were expecting to bring her back today but- as you can probably tell- _that_ hasn't happened. So, in three days, the ceremony to mark that day in Cheve, her kidnap and the death of our Father will go ahead as planned."- His lips pulled into a tight line.

Takumi was confused; what did any of this have to do with him? "I don't quite understand what you're getting at."

Ryoma placed a hand on the young boy's back and turned him to face the returning troops. "Everyone you see here went out there with the same hope that both myself and Hinoka had; to bring Corrin home and to turn what is going to be a day of grief into one of hope for the future; into one of forgiveness and moving forward.

"Instead, on that day all we can offer our people is a chance to remember and to reflect on the past year with no way to bring an end to their suffering. Hoshido will never be a truly happy place until Corrin is returned to us."

Takumi looked away from the soldiers, "Yeah, I'm _sure_ that these proud and brave people are _so_ upset about the loss of one princess, their lives are practically unbearable without her, I'm sure." Takumi sneered before trying to walk away.

Ryoma shook his head and held firmly onto the boy, "It isn't about them missing her, that isn't causing _their_ pain! It's about knowing that we lost _our_ King and that Hoshido failed to protect one of their own from a fate worse than death, they failed- _we_ failed- to protect her from Nohr's King. It's about constantly trying to right our mistakes and constantly having to go through failure after failure with no end in sight. Their suffering and their grief is caused by knowing that with every passing day and with every failed attempt to bring Corrin home, Nohr robs us of our dignity even more."

Takumi's eyes widened as he looked at the troops again. He saw the way their shoulders sagged, the tired bags under their eyes and the way their lips were all pulled down into frowns. The only thing they lacked was the slight shadow cast over their expressions that was cast over that of both Ryoma's and Hinoka's; that shadow contained all of their sadness, their loss and hardships and their agony at not having been able to return their sister to them and to Hoshido.

Just then, Takumi felt a slight pressure against his left hand and he looked down to see that Ryoma had placed something in his palm. It was a rag doll. A rag doll that Takumi knew oh so well…

 _"I don't want Corrin to ever come back! I'll never forgive her for what she did. She shouldn't have gone out there, she shouldn't have told me that she would be coming back for that stupid doll and you should never have made her feel oh-so-protected and safe because then she might not have thrown caution to the wind."_

…It was the same doll that he'd been referring to, the one that Corrin gave to him as reassurance that she would be coming back however; this doll was slightly crumpled and covered in dirt. It used to smile up at whoever was holding it but now it almost looked as if it was frowning, like it knew that its owner had long since left it behind.

Hinoka and Sakura both came over to join their brothers then and Hinoka placed a reassuring hand on Ryoma's shoulder whilst Sakura looked at the doll in Takumi's hand.

"Why do you still have this?" Takumi looked into Ryoma's eyes questioningly.

"Because I was waiting for the right time to give it back to you. I was waiting for the day that I could finally make you understand what it means to not have Corrin with us here in Hoshido. Even if you can't find it in yourself to forgive her or to trust her or to even _love_ her; even if you can't find a personal motive to want to bring Corrin home, as a prince, it is your duty to your kingdom to bring her back at _all_ costs so that one day, you can erase the darkness that currently looms over our people _every_ moment of _every_ day."

Takumi looked at the doll in his hand. _Ryoma is right_ \- he thought to himself- _even if it's not what I want, it's what the people want and as a prince of Hoshido, I have a responsibility to fulfil their wishes regardless of whether or not I share it with them._

Yet again, the young boy began to cry. "Corrin." He whispered. He looked at his siblings and saw them all smiling through their own tears as they began to fall. "Father, I-I'm so sorry! All this time, I've been failing as a prince of Hoshido; I've been failing my Father and Corrin and- of course- all of you. I hope you can all forgive me."

He threw his arms around all of his siblings. He didn't know where this left his relationship with his missing sister, he was still incredibly angry with her and the betrayal still stung. He probably wouldn't be able to work out the state of his relationship with her until he saw her again and he would do-one day- because it was his duty to bring her back no matter what state she would be brought back in. Hoshido and its people couldn't find closure and move forward until they knew the truth about the fate of their missing princess.

* * *

"Come on, Takumi, we're going to be _late_!" Sakura dragged him by his sleeve as they ran towards the plaza, panting and gasping as she went.

"Sakura, calm down, we'll make it, don't panic." He laughed as the small girl showed a surprising amount of strength as they rushed through the streets of Hoshido.

Suddenly, they both came to an abrupt stop as Sakura bounded into their mother; she turned around to greet the two siblings as she released Hinoka's shoulders.

"Aah…careful, now, you might have hurt yourself." She smiled warmly at Sakura.

"No, I'm fine, Mummy."

"Haha, that's good to hear and what about you Takumi?" Hinoka asked, smiling slightly as well.

"Huh? Yeah, I'm all right as well, could've done without all of the pointless running, though by the looks of things, you haven't even started."

"Hmm…"- Hinoka murmured before turning to Mikoto. - "Mother, we're about to begin, we should meet up with Ryoma."

"Of course, my child." Mikoto replied.

The two had finally managed to see eye to eye over the last few months. After having a particular nasty spat, Hinoka had finally felt guilty enough about her treatment of Mikoto to try to make an effort to get along better with the woman and they quickly grew to love each other as a mother and daughter should.

Hinoka would always love and remember Ikona but so much had already tried-and succeeded with -tearing their family apart and so Hinoka realised that in order to preserve some sense of stability within their broken unit, she had to embrace and accept Mikoto and the role she way trying to fulfil as their mother and as Hoshido's queen.

As they walked towards the centre of the plaza, a few people greeted their royal family and wished them well. It was the evening of the ceremony and the people of Hoshido had come together on this cool spring night in order to pay their respects to their fallen king and their stolen princess whilst also remembering all of the troops who had lost their lives that day a year ago. Despite the melancholic atmosphere, the night was as peaceful as they come.

"Mother, are you making a speech?" Hinoka inquired.

Mikoto shook her head and nodded her chin in the direction of Ryoma who was taking his place directly in the centre of the plaza. Despite the fact he was about to talk in front of a huge crowd of people, he didn't look at all nervous; his natural charm and charisma no doubt helped his case a lot when it came to things like this.

"People of Hoshido-" He began, his voice travelling throughout the crowd as they all fell silent to listen to his commanding tone and his words.- "I'm sure you are all well aware of why we are gathered here this evening. We're here to remember the late, great and honourable King Sumeragi. He was a wise, proud man who loved his family, his people and Hoshido with all that he was. It will always be a great tragedy that we lost him and that we never got to bring his body home. But we have our memories and tonight, we shall reflect on them."

He took a moment to collect himself before continuing to speak. "We're also here to think about all of the people who lost their lives that day. _Obviously_ , we were caught off-guard as we had not arrived in Cheve with the expectation of engaging in combat with Nohr's troops and its King. We'd gone there in the hope of taking the first steps towards peace between our nations however, we were all fooled and all of us willingly walked into a death-trap. A trap that took many from us; many who had families, passions and duties but most of all they had lives that were cruelly taken from them…"

Takumi stopped paying attention for a moment as he looked out around the silent crowd. He took in the image of a crying woman holding a baby that looked to be no more than a year old, an injured man who looked as if he was recalling the night that had left him unable to serve his kingdom any longer and the image of three siblings who looked as if they were without parents. _Had that night a year ago left them orphaned?_ Takumi felt his heart break in two at that prospect. Suddenly, Ryoma's words brought him back to his senses.

"…But whilst we are still suffering, whilst it may seem that there is no hope of Hoshido ever being able to recover from the tragedies of that day we must remember that not everyone who went out to Cheve lost their lives- some of our troops managed to survive. These brave souls were there to witness something most shocking. Princess Corrin-"- His voice caught a little on the name and he took a steadying breath before continuing. - "- Corrin, in an attempt to help us risked _her_ life by following us into Cheve in order to provide whatever service she could.

"Of course, being only five at the time there was so little she could _do_ and sadly, she was kidnapped by Nohr's King. To this day, we still haven't been able to find out what fate awaited her when she arrived in Nohr but we will _never_ rest until we find out. We _will_ bring her home to Hoshido and we will _never_ stop until we find the light at the end of the tunnel. People of Hoshido, we will never give up on the idea of peace, we will never allow ourselves to be broken no matter what comes our way!

"So tonight, I ask of you to remember the tragedies of a year ago, keep them with you as a lesson of what awaits us if we ever allow ourselves to falter again. But I also ask you to smile, to hope and to dream. Myself and my family dream to be reunited with Corrin and to restore the spirit of Hoshido and all of its people after all of the ill that has befallen it and I ask of you to find a similar wish that gives you an incentive to carry on moving forward no matter how hard it becomes. Thank you all, we wish you well."

As Ryoma walked back to re-join the rest of his family, the people of Hoshido bowed as they closed their eyes.

The silence stretched out around the plaza however, it wasn't an awkward silence in fact, it was a sign that they were all remembering and paying their respects. As Mikoto and Hinoka both placed their hands on Ryoma's shoulders in order to offer him comfort, Takumi once again found himself looking out at the people. He wanted nothing more than to heal their suffering and to take away the horrible memories of the events that had taken them to this point.

Just then, something caught his attention out of the corner of his eye. The young prince turned his attention to the three children again and his eyes widened as he smiled.

"Hey!"- He whispered, catching the attention of his family as he nodded in the direction of the crowd. - "Look!"

The Hoshidan royal family turned to look at their people and gasped as they watched. One by one, the crowd was lighting candles and placing them in the shape of Hoshido's official symbol before bowing yet again and remaining bowed as other people placed their own candles down onto the ground before the royal family.

This hadn't been planned and the family had no idea that this was going to happen. Sakura began to cry as she looked at the beautiful image at her feet and Mikoto scooped her up and held her tightly as she tried to fight back her own tears.

Hinoka was frozen in place, her hand still resting on her brother's shoulder as he stood there, mesmerised by the sight. Even Takumi himself was transfixed, it was clear that the people of Hoshido still placed their faith in its royal family and their ability to lead them to a better tomorrow.

When the symbol was complete, the crowd spoke in unison. "For Princess Sakura. For Prince Takumi. For Princess Hinoka. For Prince Ryoma. For Queen Mikoto. For King Sumeragi. For Princess Corrin. For Hoshido!"

The bemused royals stood there for one moment longer before Mikoto placed Sakura on the ground and then linking hands with Hinoka; all of the royals locked hands before gazing at their people once more.

Then, they murmured in synchronization, **"For Hoshido!"** before looking up at the sky wishing all the while that this moment signified a new start for the broken kingdom.

* * *

Meanwhile, on the outskirts of Hoshido, a young boy approached his homeland. It had been little over a year since he'd last stepped foot in the kingdom and-if he was being honest with himself- he was completely dreading _it!_

After he didn't speak up at the final meeting before the troops set off out to Cheve, he felt an overwhelming sense of dread and at many points during the march, he'd considered bringing up what he'd seen but he never did.

Oh, how he wished he had done!

After King Sumeragi's death and the kidnap of Princess Corrin, the boy with green hair hadn't returned to Hoshido despite his twin brother still remaining on as Lord Ryoma's retainer; he hadn't been able to face the royal family he was supposed to dedicate his life to serving and protecting come what may and so he'd disappeared off the radar completely.

But…a year on from the events of that day, he could no longer bring himself to run. His agony and guilt had become _too_ much of a burden to bear. If the royal family decided to hear him out only to then decide he wasn't worthy of mercy and proceed to execute him on the spot then he would gladly accept that fate and if by some miracle they decided to forgive him for his foolishness, he would spend the rest of his days trying to make things _right._

He knew that Princess Corrin had not yet been found and had not yet returned to live with her family in Hoshido, if he would be allowed to live then he would start there. After all…it was _his_ fault she was no longer with the family that loved her with all of their beings.

He could still remember witnessing Lord Ryoma as he'd crumpled to the ground and screamed his grief out into the early morning light after finding his father's body was no longer where he had fallen and after watching Corrin being taken to Nohr by King Garon. That scream would always be burned into his memory; it was the sound of a broken person. A sound that signified that he'd reached the brink of what he could take.

He imagined all of the Hoshidan royals had experienced the same amount of pain as Lord Ryoma had done and it was all because of _his_ stupidity! After he saw that scene play out and as he'd watched Ryoma being taken by the few remaining Hoshidan guards back to where he would be reunited with the remaining members of his family, Kaze had fled from Cheve without looking back.

He'd spent the past year thinking, grieving and finding the strength within himself to work out his next move and his next move would be to return home to face the music. He could no longer _justify_ running.

As he looked at his homeland that was shrouded in darkness he wondered what he would be returning to. Would it be peaceful and calm just like he remembered it being? Or would it be just as broken and desolate as the once great kingdom of Nohr was? Would it still be whole and united or would it now be bearing the scars of a land wounded by too much suffering and grief?

Only time would tell him the answers to those questions. As he started to walk towards the castle at the centre of it all in order to meet his fate head-on, he once again went through his explanation of that day in his head before clearing his mind of thoughts completely in a vain attempt to preserve whatever sanity he had left.

* * *

Well...I couldn't resist bringing up a certain green-haired ninja again. How could I? He's just so precious. Anyway, I hoped you liked the scene where I brought all of Hoshido together to remember the events that took place in Cheve. It actually made me really emotional writing about them creating the symbol of Hoshido out of candles. More emotional than I thought it would, in fact. As you can see, I never explained who those three children were and what their situation is, that's because I'm leaving up to you to decide, since it isn't all that important but I figure some of you may be worried about them which is why I'm explaining they aren't significant outside of this Chapter. Until next time. xXx


	11. Unstoppable

Well...this Chapter draws a close to the Chapters focusing on the first year or so after the events in Cheve so in a way, we've come full circle but fear not, there's still plenty more Chapters to come (although I'm not sure how many more we have left before we shift our focus to Corrin's life in Nohr). This Chapter features a two-year-old Sakura and-as was established a while back- I don't know much about children and so I'm sorry if my portrayal of her sucks (which it probably will). This Chapter also focuses on something brought up in a certain Support line again so I hope you like my explanation of the origin of that.

I must admit, this Chapter isn't the best work I've ever done but it's still sweet enough to finish off this little portion of the story and so I hope you like it.

 ***Spoilers Warning*** Definite spoilers about the Avatar's actual relation to the Hoshidan royal family (hopefully people will know what that means and if they don't then that probably means they shouldn't read on). Also, spoilers about certain game events. There are also spoilers for two Support chains but I can't say which two (sorry) but if I limit it down to two featuring Corrin and two of the Hoshidan siblings, will that help? (Probably not, thinking about it...)

*I own nothing to do with 'Fire Emblem [Fates]', its locations, characters etc.*

 **Rated T**

* * *

 **Chapter Eleven: Unstoppable**

"-Whatever punishment awaits me, I shall accept it; I am in no position to argue for leniency or even for my life to be spared. What I did that day-or rather, what I _didn't_ do- may have contributed greatly to how things ended up playing out. All I can do now is offer my sincerest apologies for my thoughtlessness. Lord Ryoma…Queen Mikoto, I don't expect you to forgive me, I have caused both you and the rest of your family immense suffering. I-"

"Stand up, Kaze." Mikoto murmured, there was no emotion in her voice and her expression was unreadable, a perfect poker face. Kaze gave in to her command and rose despite his legs shaking.

It'd been merely a few hours since he'd first returned to Hoshido and he'd wasted no time returning to the castle and requesting an audience with the queen and the eldest prince. All three of them were now in the throne room; Ryoma was stood to one side with his arms folded across his chest. His expression was just as indecipherable as Mikoto's and his eyes seemed to roam over the ninja; what he was looking for however, Kaze couldn't tell. Mikoto was stood in front of the throne, her radiant aura shining throughout the room.

Mikoto was silent for a moment whilst she gathered her thoughts before she started to speak again. "Kaze, you were but a _child_ when the events in Cheve occurred and even now- a year on- you are still so young."

The boy winced as he presented his counterargument, "Saizo is my twin brother and as such is the same age as I despite being a tad older and there is no doubt in my mind that if he'd been the one to bear witness to what I did, he'd have told someone without a moment's hesitation."

She smiled warmly at the boy. "But you are not him. You are Kaze and if we were to take your life as recompense for a child's mistake then we'd be robbing you of the chance to learn from it and of the chance to become the man that you are destined to be one day."

"With all due respect my Queen, I may have been a child-I may still be one- but, I was raised to serve your family even at the expense of my own life and as such, I am not _allowed_ to falter. I don't have the liberty of being allowed to have faults. If I had honoured my duties then King Sumeragi may still be alive, Princess Corrin may not have been taken by King Garon and all the troops who lost their lives that day may still be alive. We could've fled from Cheve! We could have found a way to fight back or to retaliate but instead we could do _nothing_ but accept our cruel fate because of my weakness."

The room fell silent after Kaze's sudden outburst. He was panting heavily, shaking with the weight of his emotion. Ryoma was the one to break the silence as he cleared his throat, drawing the attention of the other two occupants.

"Kaze, you must believe me when I say that you weren't the only one to make mistakes that day; we all did. We were careless and we let our guards down. The fact of the matter is that you're the _only one_ who noticed that something was off about the whole thing, the _only one_ who realised that Corrin's concerns had some basis."

Kaze lowered his head in shame.

Ryoma continued. "But don't you see what this means? There were so _many_ troops there that day! Many of who were older and more experienced than you but you're the only one who realised. You have a level of skill that simply could not be matched; the only thing you lacked was the confidence to act upon it but that's simply because you were young- it'd be hard to not question your own judgement when people twice your age were acting as if nothing was out of the ordinary.

"Believe me, I made that same mistake. I thought without a doubt that my Father was making the right move and for the longest time, I refused to question his judgement because I believed he could do no wrong. I forgot that he was merely human and as a result could get things wrong from time to time. He analysed the situation wrong and I was careless to not accept it until it was too late to do anything other than walk straight into the trap that was set for us."

"Lord Ryoma…" Kaze's eyes widened at the prince's confession. The prince himself was still so young (he wasn't even thirteen yet) and yet, his words and the weight they held were enough to make Kaze realise that he'd be a great king one day and that it would be an honour to serve him.

"So what happens now?" He asked.

Mikoto smiled at him. "The answer to that question is simple: we forgive you."

He looked down at the ground again. "I understand…wait, _**what?!"** _ He stumbled back a bit in shock.

"Were you expecting a different answer?" She raised an eyebrow and her expression became mischievous. "You have our forgiveness, Kaze, especially mine. There are only two things I ask of you in return."

"I will do anything for you, my Queen."

She nodded. "Firstly, I ask that you learn from the mistakes of your past, no more running away from them."

"Of course…and the other thing?"

"The other thing I ask is that you serve me."

"You want me to pledge my loyalty to you?" He asked, confused, whilst he'd been away he had kept tabs on what was going on in Hoshido; he knew that she already had retainers, did she really need another? Not like he was complaining if that was the case but it did surprise him.

She shook her head. "No, I don't want you to pledge your loyalty to me specifically. I want you to carry on servicing all of the royal family- I don't want you to abandon that duty until the day comes when you do pledge your loyalty to one person in particular."

"I shall never abandon my duty again for as long as I live. Thank you, my Queen, I don't deserve this chance but I'll make the most of it. I will never fail you again."

As Kaze started to leave the room, he felt a slight pressure against his shoulder and turned to find Ryoma standing behind him. The prince smiled at the ninja and spoke softly to him, "I trust that you will aid me in the search for Corrin?"

"Of course, my Lord, if I was allowed to live then there was never any doubt in my mind about that." He bowed his head slightly.

"Good. Also, you may want to find Saizo before you do anything else. He may not be the most emotional of people but I'd find it a bit strange if he hasn't been at all worried about your well-being in the past year." He seemed to be keeping something from Kaze but he didn't feel he had any right to question the young lord about whatever it was.

"Very well." Ryoma released his shoulder and Kaze proceeded on his way.

Ryoma sighed and without looking back at Mikoto, he asked her the question that had been burning in his mind. "Should we tell him?"

"No, it's Saizo's place to tell him, Ryoma, not ours."

They stood there and stared at the closed doors to the throne room for a while before getting on with their other duties.

* * *

"La-la la, la-la…" Sakura sang to herself as she brushed her doll's hair and braided flowers through it. The two-year-old's days were often like this; peaceful and tranquil.

Once she'd finished making her doll look pretty, she admired her handiwork for a moment before turning to look for her other doll. She was planning on throwing a little tea party for them all and she was so excited by the prospect of spending time with her toys. There was nothing she enjoyed more than creating little stories that featured them all (other than spending time with her siblings and mother, of course). Sometimes they would go out for walks in the woods, other times they would go and pick flowers and other times-like today- they would eat food and drink tea in the palace gardens.

Sometimes Hinoka would even join in but she never joined in with the tea parties, when Sakura had asked her about it her elder sister had winced a bit like she was in pain and had said-rather ominously- that tea parties reminded her of _'someone'_.

"There, now I just have to get one more of you ready- **oh!"** Sakura looked around herself and realised that the doll she'd been referring to was missing. She sighed, "I must have left her in the study." She bit her lip; they'd gone there in order to find a story for mother to read to them before bed time.

 _Best go find her_ \- she thought. As she made her way to the room, she started to imagine who the _'someone'_ that Hinoka had mentioned could be. She often found herself wondering about that but had never reached any viable conclusion about who it could be.

 _ **"Sakura?!"**_

"Shh…! Keep it down, will _you?!"_

Sakura froze in her tracks; her name was being 'whispered' by someone and she wanted to know why. She spotted a couple of gossiping maids dusting; the two were infamous around the Hoshidan palace for talking about everything and anything.

"But…why would that be the case? Corrin wasn't supposed to be there at all."

 _'Corrin'?_ Sakura knew that name well; it was her sister who had been taken to Nohr. She only had the vaguest memories of the girl and for the most part she could only recall her vibrant red eyes and beaming smile.

Ryoma and Hinoka often talked about her and told Sakura the funniest stories; they told her about when Corrin had tried to dress herself for the first time and ended up trying to put her head through the sleeve and got stuck, the day she decided to slide down the newly polished hallway and discovered her new favourite 'pastime' as a result, much to the dismay of the servants and also about the time when she brought a bird home that she'd befriended and it escaped and so everyone in the castle spent the entire day trying to capture it whilst ducking their heads down when it flew too near to them only for Corrin to be the one who actually managed to catch it and she just rolled her eyes and asked 'what's the big deal? It's only small.' like that was the problem!

"Of course she _wasn't!_ But it's obvious that it was always King Garon's intention to kill King Sumeragi, it's not out of the realm of possibility that he tried to locate where the royal family was staying in order to kidnap the King's youngest child but-in failing that- he decided that Corrin would be a good substitute especially since she practically fell right into his lap!"

Sakura's mind took a moment to process what was being said. _So…they'd wanted to kidnap her and not Corrin? Did that mean that it was her fault that Corrin was no longer in Hoshido?_

Sakura felt tears welling up in her eyes and she ran down the hall, her errand to retrieve her doll long since forgotten. "I'm sorry, sis." She stuttered through her tears as she wiped her nose. Her legs could no longer support her weight and she fell to the floor, as she cried for the rest of the afternoon.

* * *

"Mother is busy so she's not joining us for dinner." Ryoma stated as he joined the rest of his siblings.

"Well…it's her loss because this is delicious." Takumi grabbed another piece of food and popped it in his mouth.

"Takumi!"- Hinoka scolded. - "You're supposed to wait for everyone to join and Sakura isn't here yet."

"Yeah, I know, but I'm starving. I've been training _all_ afternoon and my lessons ran over as well."

He moved to grab another piece of food and Hinoka tutted before slapping his hand away. "You know, somebody _really_ has to teach you patience and manners. Show some decorum!"

Ryoma rolled his eyes. "Will you two please stop it?! You're behaving like children."

Takumi and Hinoka both looked at each other before Hinoka raised an eyebrow at her elder sibling. "Err…Ryoma? We _are_ children."

Before he could reply, the door opened to reveal Sakura. The young girl's eyes were red and swollen from crying and she looked as pale as a sheet.

All three of the other Hoshidan siblings shot up and went over to their youngest sibling. "Sakura?! What's wrong, what happened?" Takumi asked.

Sakura's gaze met his and she wanted to reply but…for some reason, she felt her throat close up, her tummy felt like it had butterflies in it and her heart seemed to be beating too fast. "I-I, err…um…"

Ryoma placed his strong hands on her shoulders and looked straight into her eyes as he rested his forehead against her own, "Sakura, take deep breaths, okay? In…out…in…out."

After a few moments, Sakura regained enough composure to think clearly. However, when her siblings yet again asked her about what was wrong, she didn't tell them the truth because she didn't want to get the maids in trouble and also…if it was true. If she had been the intended target then surely her siblings would resent her for being here when Corrin wasn't? If that turned out to be the case then the two-year-old would rather not know; she would rather live in blissful ignorance and so she said nothing and just came up with an excuse for her tears.

After she'd managed to convince them to stop worrying about her, they ate in silence for a while longer before she asked them a question. "D-do you m-miss Corrin?"

The moment she said her sibling's name, all three of the other attendees seemed to go deathly silent.

Hinoka was the first one to speak up, "Of course we do, Sakura. Why do you ask?"

"W-well, I just…I think about her everyday even though I b-barely knew her and I get really sad whenever I think about what h-happened to her b-but um…you all seem so happy. I-is that the case?"

Ryoma answered his sister's question. "For the longest time, we weren't happy at all; we were miserable all the time however, we've learnt to smile again; we've learnt to be happy again- even if that happiness is only skin-deep.

"We do think about her often and we still feel pain and sadness whenever we recall the fact she's not here however, life goes on and there's so much to smile at and when we're reunited we can share all of those happy times with her. If we carry on just being upset all the time then when she comes back, all we'll have are painful memories to share with her and that'll just make her feel guilty and upset so we _need_ to create beautiful memories to balance out the horrible ones."

"Yeah, I never stop thinking about Corrin even in my sleep."- Hinoka interjected- "I do worry about something, though, will she still feel like she's a part of our family when she returns? So much could've happened to her in Nohr; we don't know what they could've done to her, what they could be doing to her if she's still…"

Hinoka's voice trailed off as she entertained _that_ possibility, the possibility that she would never find out the answer to her question simply because Corrin was no longer around _to_ answer it. She then shook her head, clearing it of that dreadful thought yet again. It seemed to enter her mind at least once a day like it was trying its very best to torture her.

Sakura cleared her throat in an attempt to draw attention away from that line of thinking, "T-then…why don't we d-do something that will remind her that she belongs with us?"

Takumi put his hands up in the air. "Not like I care very much either way but what did you have in mind?"

Sakura's eyes widened. "I-I don't know. But if we had something we could g-give her then she'll realise that we never stopped caring about her."

Takumi's eyebrow perked up at that. "Err…this is something we're planning on giving to her after her hypothetical return, right?"

Hinoka glanced up at him. "But… _when_ she does return,"- She purposefully used the 'when' to correct Takumi's 'hypothetical return' statement. - "she'll want to know that her siblings never stopped caring about her and that they kept her in their thoughts always but…what could we give to her? Hmm…" She placed her hand on her chin thoughtfully and her lips puckered in concentration.

Suddenly, Ryoma, who had been quiet all of this time, snapped his fingers together drawing everyone's attention to him. "I've got it! Are any of you too busy tomorrow to accompany me on an errand?"

They all shook their heads in unison.

"Good, then we'll leave first thing in the morning, _just_ the four of us."

"What do you have in mind, Ryoma?" Hinoka asked suspiciously.

He grinned fiendishly at them, "That's for _me_ to know…and for _you_ to lose sleep over…"

* * *

"We should get the Hoshidan symbol engraved on it." Hinoka murmured as she looked over Ryoma's shoulder at their current project.

"Y-yeah, it'll be like a couple of nights ago, when our people made the s-symbol out of candles."

"She wasn't there to see that-"- Takumi whispered almost to himself. - "There's a lot that she's missing out on through no fault of her own. I won't act like I trust her or even care for her that much however, right now; I want to treat her like the sister that she used to be for me." He smiled.

Ryoma was busy concentrating nevertheless he replied albeit a bit distractedly. "I'm glad to hear that. I'd prefer to hear that you'd consider her as your sister all of the time however, I'll take whatever I can get."

"Ha! Glad to hear it." Takumi's grin widened even further.

A few hours (and disagreements later), the four Hoshidan royal siblings agreed on the final design for the ring that they wanted to be made. After paying the blacksmith, they went on their way and spent the rest of the day together reminiscing over the memories they'd made with their missing sibling.

* * *

"I'm here to deliver the ring you requested." The blacksmith murmured as he bowed before the siblings.

"Thank you." Hinoka whispered as she took the box from him. The four siblings had agreed to keep this a secret from everyone else-Mikoto included- as they wanted this to be something just between the four of them-until Corrin came back at which point it'd be between the five of them.

After wishing the blacksmith well and thanking him for his services, the four siblings gathered together in a small huddle. "Let's take a look at it." Hinoka said as she lifted the lid.

It was just as they'd requested a simple gold band with the Hoshidan symbol and a short saying engraved onto its surface. Despite the fairly bland design, it still cost a small fortune due to the couple of jewels that they'd also had added to give it some colour.

…Okay, _maybe_ it was more than a couple.

"Wow! It's rather err…elaborate." Takumi commented.

"That's true but our sister deserves the best." Hinoka nodded enthusiastically.

"There's j-just one q-question: who is going to give it to her?" Sakura asked quietly.

All four of them stood in silence as they pondered the dilemma.

"Hinoka." Ryoma said at the exact same time as all the other three siblings said his name instead. **_"W-what?!"_** He exclaimed. "B-but won't it be awkward for me to give her a ring? I know nothing about jewellery!"

Hinoka grabbed his shoulders from behind. "Aah, but this _was_ your idea and it's not just any piece of jewellery, is it? It's a ring for our kidnapped sibling to remind her of how much we cared- and still care- about her when she returns, you know, in case the Nohrians have planted a seed of doubt in her mind about us? Besides, you're also the oldest and you _were_ the closest to Corrin therefore, you're the most qualified to be entrusted with this important task."

"I second that notion!" Takumi raised his hand like he was at an auction.

"I t-third it." Sakura copied her brother's action by lifting her own hand.

He rolled his eyes at them. "Ugh, fine, _fine_ , I'll hold onto it and give her it when we are all reunited again, agreed?"

"Agreed." They all said.

"Then all that's left to do is to do all within our power to bring her back to us safe and sound. I trust you are all willing to do such a thing?"

All of the siblings nodded before going about their business. As Ryoma took the ring back up to his room, meaning to find a safe place to keep it, he realised that he couldn't bear to part with something that would one day be given to his sister- the thought of their eventual reunion filled him with such an overwhelming sense of joy.

"I really miss you, Corrin. I hope you still remember us here in Hoshido after all, we could _never_ forget you." His thoughts drifted to the first time he'd met her as young newly-born babe with the biggest, brightest eyes and the sweetest little smile. There wasn't a single moment with her that he didn't cherish however, that memory was one of his favourites.

There was nothing in the world he loved more than his family and his kingdom and he was definitely closest with both Hinoka and Corrin however, his bond with Corrin in particular had always been an incredibly special one and the fact she wasn't around him any longer was an unbearable one but it was one that he was determined to change no matter what.

He looked at the box in his hand as he sighed. "I think I'll keep this on my person after all, there's no guarantee as to _when_ we'll be reunited again; it could be today, it could be years from now, regardless of when it is, it will happen- there's no doubt in my mind about that. Until then, I'll hold onto this for you, Corrin and keep it safe no matter what. We _will_ meet again, Sister. We all love you dearly and our lives are nowhere near as beautiful without you. We will bring you home as soon as we can, Sister, I hope you're prepared to see us again because we're certainly prepared to see _you_."

The first year without Corrin and without Sumeragi had been a difficult one for the Hoshidan siblings and it probably wasn't going to get any easier however, they would struggle on regardless of what came their way because they had a sister to bring home and a kingdom to protect. As a whole, they were unbeatable and unbreakable but most of all, they were unstoppable.

* * *

Time to shift our focus from the Hoshidan siblings and their grief for the moment. There wasn't much I could do with Sakura during this however, I did make a start on her character development in this Chapter so I hope you like it. Until next time. xXx


	12. Hypocrisy at its Finest

Okay...the 'shorter Chapters' thing _really_ lasted long!

I like this Chapter a lot more than I like the previous one although it mainly just consists of a moral debate of sorts rather than anything plot related but eh, it's really just there to familiarise you all with where the story is up to now so it isn't supposed to feature a lot of plot stuff. (This will make more sense when you read it, trust me). Although, I must admit that I aren't a fan of how this Chapter ends just because it feels so unnatural however, this Chapter was already so long that I had to stop myself from writing any more and just find a way to finish it before it went on for a hundred pages...

Thank you to the guest reviewer 'Goddess of Time', I'm glad you like the story and as for making it hard for you to choose to side with your Nohrian family despite being a Nohrian girl? I have a horrible feeling that the guilt tripping towards the end of this Chapter will just make that choice even harder for you to make however, I do plan to balance it out when I move on to Corrin's life in Nohr so...don't worry _too_ much. ;)

Also, a huge thanks to everyone else who has left me reviews: you're the best!

Time for an age update: there has been a two year time skip between this Chapter and the last and Corrin has been in Nohr for about three years in total. By now Ryoma is thirteen, Hinoka is eight, Takumi is five and Sakura three. You may notice how their ages haven't changed by two years, well that's because all their birthdays during the third year haven't occurred yet so they are due to turn fourteen, nine, six and four respectively but not just yet. (You'll have to forgive me if I've completely messed this up but maths has never been my strong point).

A certain character gets mentioned in this Chapter however, his physical description is a bit different from how he looks in 'Fates'. I wonder if you can still tell who it is by his role...(probably because you're all so smart).

 ***Spoilers Warning*** Definite spoilers about the Avatar's actual relation to the Hoshidan royal family (hopefully people will know what that means and if they don't then that probably means they shouldn't read on). Also, spoilers about certain game events.

*I own nothing to do with 'Fire Emblem [Fates]', its locations, characters etc.*

 **Rated T (Also mild gore in this Chapter so be warned.)**

* * *

 **Chapter Twelve: Hypocrisy at its Finest**

She had no idea what was happening. One second she was in her room looking out of the window, not really thinking about anything in particular, the next she felt someone behind her and a piece of cloth being pressed against her mouth. She couldn't remember anything after that as she'd fallen asleep; all she knew was that she was now on the move.

She wanted to open her eyes. She wanted to look around herself in order to work out what was going on however, she was afraid to do so after all she had no idea who had taken her. Maybe the concubines had finally decided to get rid of her on a more permanent basis? That would make sense, they despised her after all and they even forced their own children to avoid her at all costs.

Her life had been a tragic one up until this point and it seemed to just be getting worse rather than better after all, she'd now been taken against her will! Maybe someone like her wasn't allowed to find happiness, comfort or peace. It would make sense; she was different from everyone else; people who were different often found themselves bearing the brunt of other people's hatred.

She decided to remain silent and to pretend to still be feeling the effects of whatever was on that cloth, as she was just about to put all of her focus on breathing steadily, she heard voices around her. She couldn't make out what they were saying due to their words being swift and not having much volume behind them.

"We know you're awake, open your eyes Nohrian _Princess_."

Suddenly, she found herself being placed on her feet, her legs were a little wobbly due to her not having walked for a while but she quickly found her feet. Her eyes snapped opened and focused on the face of her red-haired kidnapper and the other people who were escorting her. They looked at her with emotionless eyes as they took in her form. Were they expecting her to run? Or to scream? _Huh, I'm not that pathetic._ \- She thought to herself. She recognised them instantly as Hoshidan ninja and whilst she was a bit shocked to find that the Hoshidans had taken her she decided that it was probably best if she didn't show it.

"We're almost at the palace, don't try to do anything stupid now; us ninja move fast." The implied threat in his voice made her yearn to shiver but instead she just nodded and followed them as they continued to walk.

She looked to her side for a moment when something caught her eye only to see a man with black hair walking alongside her. He was wearing a mask over his face just like the other ninja however; his eyes seemed to lack the suspicion and hostility that adorned the faces of the other ninja present. Instead he looked at her curiously and with a hint of pain- _did he regret being a part of this?_

Hoshido was a bright and colourful place compared to Nohr even though the streets were practically barren due to it being rather early in the morning. It surprised her, really, that two such different places could exist within the same world. The few people she could see were busy setting up stalls and they were all smiling and talking with each other in cheery voices; there was no fighting or arguments- no jealousy or hatred. She found herself smiling a little at this world that was so different from her own.

When they arrived at the palace, she was taken to the throne room where she saw a kind, gentle woman and a young boy with wild hair. They said nothing to her and she found herself feeling rather awkward. Were they waiting for her to speak? She didn't have much to ask them however, there was one question burning in her mind.

"Why have you brought me here?" She raised an eyebrow at them and glared between them. Maybe she should've tried to treat them with more respect and dignity however, they'd kidnapped _her_ and whilst her life in Nohr wasn't a happy one that didn't change the fact that she'd never asked to be taken from there.

The woman in front of her opened her mouth as if to speak before she closed it again and turned her head away from the young girl. There seemed to be guilt in her eyes and a little bit of embarrassment- _what was wrong with her?_

They continued to stand in silence- it felt as if they were practically being devoured by the tense atmosphere but none of them made a move to try to obscure it.

Just then, the door behind them burst open and they all turned to face the man who had just walked through the door, he looked upset and distressed as he bowed before the woman in front of the throne.

"Queen Mikoto, we've had word from Nohr…"

Both the boy in red and this 'Queen Mikoto' shifted as they waited for him to continue his report. They looked rather expectant and optimistic which she thought was strange since this man clearly didn't look as if he was about to bestow them with good news.

"It's…not what we were hoping for; the King refuses to accept the trade."

"Oh gods!" The woman cried as she placed a hand over her mouth and tears began to fall from her eyes whilst the boy in red winced and turned to face the wall so that no one could see his reaction.

The girl raised an eyebrow at such a public display of emotion from the two people in front of her. She didn't deal well with people and _'feelings'_ , she preferred to maintain her distance from both and now here she was; presented _with_ both.

"Damn it! How could he not…?" The young boy turned back around to face them as he trailed off. "Thank you, Yukimura, you're excused."

"Of course, my Lord and don't worry, we _will_ get her back."

 _'Her back'?_ She looked down when she heard that as she tried to piece things together. She knew that a princess from Hoshido had been kidnapped almost three years previously and that the Hoshidans in all that time hadn't stopped trying to get her back despite their attempts all failing. _So…their latest one involved a trade, did it? But…what were they planning to give to Nohr in exchange for the princess?_

Suddenly her eyes widened as she reached her conclusion and she felt disgusted that she was being used as pawn in such a cheap tactic such as this.

"Were you about to ask how King Garon could not want _me_ back?-" Her tone was bitter and she was being incredibly hostile with him but she didn't care, as far as they were concerned, she was only of worth to them if it'd allow them to get their princess back and that clearly wasn't going to happen and so they were probably going to execute her anyway. - "It's simple; he doesn't care what happens to me- if you'd wanted to have a hold over him, you'd have been better off trying to take his eldest son and even then I doubt it would've bothered him enough to accept a trade; he likes having a hold over you."

Both of them looked deeply hurt by her words and she expected them to kill her on the spot however, the queen just sighed sadly before she spoke. "Ryoma, take her to one of the guest rooms for now- we'll sort a more permanent solution out later."

The boy nodded and walked towards her, he tried to place a hand on her back but she shrugged away from him and proceeded to walk on ahead- like she had any idea where she was going, mind you! She kept her head held high and didn't look back as she left the room behind.

* * *

"Did you hear _that?!_ He's _still_ refusing to give Corrin back." Sakura cried as she pressed her ear against the door.

"Ugh…"- Hinoka pulled away from the door and stood up. She rested her head on her arms; she could hardly believe the plan had failed. How could the king of Nohr not be experiencing the same pain and loss of having a family member taken from them that they'd all had for almost three whole years?! Granted, it shouldn't really have surprised her- he was hardly known for being the most loving or compassionate person but still…it baffled her.

Takumi made a noise as he folded his arms over his chest. "Well, we really should've expected that that _monster_ would respond like this and now we have a Nohrian staying with us to boot- what a momentously joyous day this turned out to be!" His tone became heavily sarcastic for that bit.

Hinoka was about to reply when the door opened to reveal both Ryoma and a blue-haired girl with startling eyes. She paid no attention to the Hoshidan siblings and their snooping as she began to walk away however, Ryoma halted her as he turned to his siblings.

" _Seriously?!_ What are you all doing out here, you're supposed to be Hoshidan royalty, spying is hardly acceptable behaviour now, _is it?"_ He frowned, disapprovingly at them.

"W-we just wanted to see if we were about to g-get Corrin back, brother." Sakura stuttered as her lower lip began to tremble.

Ryoma sighed and bent down to brush his hand through her hair. "Sorry, Sakura but by the looks of things it isn't happening _yet_."

The little girl began to cry and she threw her arms around Hinoka. Once the three siblings managed to calm her down, Hinoka turned her attention to the new arrival.

"Hey! What's your name?" She didn't ask this in a mean way after all, she didn't want to scare the poor girl. She looked to be about nine, making her approximately one year older than what Corrin would be now.

The girl studied the Hoshidan siblings for a moment before answering. "I really don't see how my name could be of any use to _you_. You're probably going to kill me before the sun sets anyway." Her voice was very monotonous as she responded.

Hinoka stumbled back a bit and even all the other siblings looked shocked by her words. " **K-kill _you?!_** What sort of monsters do you take us _for?"_ Takumi snapped at her.

"Well I'm sorry if I didn't get the best first impression of you but last time I checked, you took _me_ from _my_ home against _my_ will in an attempt to get back a sister of yours who was taken: against _her_ will. If that isn't irony and hypocrisy at its finest, I don't know what is! If you ask me, you're no better than the 'monstrous king of Nohr'."

The Hoshidan siblings had to give it to her- the girl had guts! She didn't turn her gaze away from them despite the fact she'd just compared them to the man who'd killed their father _and_ taken their sister in fact, her eyes were as defiant as her tone.

After a moment, she spoke up again. "Besides, your Queen said that you'd be coming up with a _'permanent solution'_ for me- how could I not take that as an indication of my upcoming execution?"

Ryoma was the first to speak up. "Ahem, she just meant that we'd find you a more permanent living quarters here; you _can't_ just stay in a guest room. It was always our intention to ke-I mean, to let you _live_ here _if_ King Garon didn't accept our trade."

"So…what you mean is that I am now your prisoner here, correct?"

"Only in name, you won't be kept in a jail cell or anything." He smiled a bit at her.

The girl took in the prince who was addressing her with suspicion in her gaze. By the looks of things, he was the eldest of these siblings and as a result, he probably remembered his missing sibling the most out of the four; she could understand his desperation nevertheless, he still seemed to be incapable of realising that she was still being kept as their prisoner- he'd even started to say as much before 'correcting' himself! He seemed like a bit of a bumbling idiot if you asked her however, he was still nice enough…for the time being.

"So…your name?" Hinoka asked her again. "I'm Hinoka. This is Ryoma, Takumi-" -Takumi looked like he was about to object to his name being brought up but Hinoka moved on before he could interrupt. - "-and Sakura."

After a moment, she replied. "Azura. My name is Azura."

Hinoka smiled at her. "There, see…progress!"

Azura rolled her eyes. "Can I be shown to my room now, please? I'm tired."

"Oh err…of-of course." Ryoma stumbled over his words seemingly baffled by her displeasure and lack of respect she was showing them even though they were royalty. After all, they were used to everyone tripping over their own two feet to fulfil their every need and whim and whilst they didn't particularly like or enjoy all of that 'high and mighty' stuff, it was still the behaviour they were most expecting from people however, she _was_ technically royalty herself and they _were_ her 'captors' so maybe this sort of treatment from her was to be expected.

Once they were out of earshot, Takumi spoke up whilst shaking his head, "I don't like _her_ , I don't like her one bit. How dare she think that it's okay to talk to us that way! Plus, she compared us to that volatile King- how could she possibly insult us like **_that?!"_**

Hinoka looked at her brother as she replied, "Calm down, Takumi. She's just been kidnapped _and_ taken to a foreign kingdom, it's understandable that she'd be harsh with us to begin with however; we have no intention of mistreating her whilst she's here and so we should become closer overtime- we just need to give her space and a chance to adjust." She smiled sweetly at him.

He rolled his eyes at her before stalking off with Sakura close on his heels. Hinoka sighed as she was left alone. "It was a pleasure to meet you, Azura and I have every intention of looking after you but I still want Corrin back so badly it hurts…" She murmured to herself as she looked out of the nearby window longingly.

* * *

A few hours later and Azura had basically taken up the same position that she had done during the moments leading up to her capture; she was now staring out of the window but this time, she was taking in the lush plains of Hoshido rather than the dreary lands of Nohr. If she was being honest with herself, she could quite quickly get used to life here after all, living in Nohr was pure torture for her but that still didn't change the fact that she hadn't _asked_ to come here and when Corrin finally returned she would no longer have a place in Hoshido nor would they want her anymore.

Suddenly, there was a quiet knock on the door to her room. "Enter." She murmured.

Before her stood the prince of Hoshido with his wild hair and bizarre outfit. He looked a little uncomfortable but he still appeared determined to make an effort.

"How are you adjusting to life here?" He asked.

"I've only been here for about half a day. That's hardly enough to time to accept the fact I'm in Hoshido let alone get used to life within its borders."

He grinned at that. "Heh, that's true enough. My apologies." Just then, his brief smile turned into a frown and he hesitated for a moment.

"Speak up, Prince Ryoma otherwise leave me be. I'm not one for talking."

"Please, just call me Ryoma. I-I wanted to ask you…do you know how Corrin is? Do you know how they're treating her? Is she okay? Is she…" He trailed off as all of the questions he'd wanted to ask someone- _anyone_ \- over the years came bursting forth. His normally calm composure disappearing completely as thoughts of Corrin flooded his mind.

She stared at him for a moment as he seemed to get lost in memories of the past he'd shared with his sister before she bowed her head and closed her eyes. "I'm sorry but I _can't_ answer your questions. I've only ever heard of her; I've never met her _or_ spent any time with her. In fact, I've spent much of my life in isolation; I wouldn't be able to tell you much about anything _or_ anyone."

He closed his eyes as he took in the news and winced a little. "I see. I'm sorry to have bothered you then, I'll leave you to it-"

"However,"- She continued as she resumed looking out of the window and just resigned herself to watching his response to her words by looking at his reflection in its glass surface.- "If they're treating her in the same manner that they used to treat _me_ then I'm afraid to say that the life she's leading in Nohr is by no means a happy one."

He stumbled back a little at her words and clutched a hand to his chest when she said that. His eyes were wide and frantic as the possibility that he'd entertained many times- the one in which his sister, his beautiful, lovable sister, was experiencing a miserable existence whilst she was a prisoner in Nohr's borders- was presented before him by someone who used to _live_ in Nohr, no less! If anyone would have an idea of the type of treatment Corrin was receiving in Nohr then it'd be someone who was seemingly in a similar circumstance to her. She was- after all- also being guarded in the same way that Corrin was it's just that she wasn't _as_ heavily guarded which is why they'd been able to find her and bring her to Hoshido.

"I-I see, thank you for telling me." He whispered as he turned to leave her in peace.

"I'm sorry I couldn't paint a more optimistic picture for you."

He shook his head. "Don't apologise, if anyone should apologise it should be us. We took you from your home just to get _our_ sister back without considering the impact it would have on you. However, from the sounds of it your life in Nohr wasn't a joyous one and so we'll try to make up for bringing you here by making your life as fantastic as possible whilst you're in Hoshido."

She smiled at his words. "Thank you. Although, I don't think your people will be too happy with me being here."

Ryoma's lips puckered at that. "Maybe not but only by giving them time will they learn to become more accepting of you."

Azura brushed off his statement. "Don't worry, even if they don't learn, I'm used to not being accepted so I'll be fine with it."

"That's a really sad thing to say…"

"Maybe so but it's the truth: the truth doesn't just change because it's not what we want to hear."

"I guess so."

They were silent for a moment before Azura spoke up again. "Is there anything else you want?"

He looked startled by the question despite its simplistic nature. "Huh? Err…I just wanted to welcome you here and I also wanted to tell you that Mother- _I mean_ , Queen Mikoto wants to speak with you properly whenever you're ready to do so. She's very sorry for being so abrupt earlier but it's hard for her every time one of the plans to get Corrin back fails, trust me, I've been there to witness every _single_ time she's heard that Corrin still remains in Nohr."

"I can understand that and don't worry, I will speak with her when I have the chance but I'm quite tired at the moment so I'm going to rest for a while first."

"Certainly, take as long as you need."

Ryoma carried on standing in the doorway even as Azura stood up. The nine-year-old rolled her eyes at him and cleared her throat. "Err…Ryoma? That _was_ a hint for you to go now."

"Oh. _**Oh!**_ I'm so sorry; I'm going…right now. I err…I'll see you later."

Azura watched him as he left and she rolled her eyes at him again. So this was one of Hoshido's princes and Corrin's elder brother? - _He's really approachable...I wasn't expecting that.-_ She thought to herself before frowning.

She had no problem picturing the kind of relationships he had with all of his siblings especially with Corrin. It was clear that he cared deeply for her and that _every_ day that he was apart from her was pure agony. It was also clear from how awkwardly he was behaving around her that the idea of keeping her prisoner here-even if they planned on treating her better than Nohr was probably treating Corrin- didn't sit well with him and so he was being overly welcoming and friendly as a result. She _really_ hoped that he would stop acting like that sooner rather than later.

But…for the moment she was really comfortable in Hoshido and she couldn't wait to spend more time here and even if she was just being used as a temporary replacement for Corrin, she would gladly accept that role if it allowed her to feel as happy as she did right at this moment in time.

* * *

Ryoma couldn't sleep. That was a common occurrence mainly because sleep brought with it nightmares that featured the events in Cheve but tonight he couldn't sleep because guilt and disgust were weighing heavily on his conscience.

It'd been _his_ idea to kidnap the blue-haired princess from Nohr and _he'd_ been the one to give the order to go ahead with it and whilst he was glad that they'd seemingly liberated her from a life of pain and suffering; they hadn't done it for her benefit, they'd done it to benefit _themselves_.

"All we want to do is get Corrin back and protect Hoshido but…are we going to lose ourselves in the process?" He bit his lip as he sat up in bed and ran a hand through his hair.

The fact that the consequences of this act hadn't even occurred to him until he'd heard the accusing words from Azura's lips earlier worried him to no end. She'd even compared _them_ to King Garon! _No_ , he'd been the one to go through with this plan therefore she'd compared _him_ to King Garon; the man who'd killed his father and taken his sister!

The immense suffering he'd experienced _every_ single moment of _every_ single day and night since then hadn't ebbed even a tiny bit in the almost three year time period since the events that day. In fact, it just seemed to be getting worse and sometimes he'd feel so disgusted with himself and the contributions that his failures that day had had on how that situation played out that he'd actually be physically and violently sick. He would shake and gasp and cry as his thoughts tormented him with _'what ifs'_ and _'maybes'_.

But…he'd vowed to always stay true to his convictions no matter _what_. No matter how tainted he would become, how black his heart would turn or how tortured and mangled his soul would feel by the end of it. What he'd put Azura through was cruel however, he'd make up for it by looking after her whilst she was here even though he could do that for a lifetime and still not be able to make up for bringing her into this mess. But as for Corrin…how could he ever make up for his failures and the consequences they'd had for _her?_ Azura's words from earlier came back to him:

 _"However, if they're treating her in the same manner that they used to treat me then I'm afraid to say that the life she's leading in Nohr is by no means a happy one."_

 _ **"Gah!"** _ He cried out as all sorts of painful images of what they could be doing to Corrin went through his mind. He thought of all the Nohrian torture methods he'd learned about in case he ever found himself being subjected to one. He thought about how distant and detached Azura seemed to be from the world around her and how haunted and troubled she seemed to be when reflecting on what she'd experienced in Nohr. The thought of his once bright, bubbly, and cheerful little sister coming back to them a tortured soul herself was almost _as_ bad as _any_ of the other outcomes his mind had created over the years.

"Corrin." His broken and tired voice echoed out around his room and he stood up from his bed. He found himself leaving his room and he wasn't aware of where his legs were taking him until he found himself right outside of the door that led to Corrin's old room. Despite going in there sometimes, no one had ever touched or moved anything in the room. They honestly couldn't bring themselves to do so.

Ryoma himself had only gone in there a handful of times when he'd wanted to reminisce over happier memories of Corrin: ones like when they'd coloured and drawn pictures together or ones where they played board games together and then that one time they'd played hide and seek and she'd had the _'creative'_ idea of hiding behind her curtains but failed to realise that her legs sticking out from underneath was a dead giveaway as to where she was and she spent the rest of the day being in a foul mood because she had no idea how she could've possibly lost at such a simple-(' _yet stupid')_ \- game such as hide and seek.

He sat on the floor of the room in a corner where he wouldn't disturb anything and just looked around himself, taking in every little detail. In fact- as he thought about it- he actually had a second reason for coming in here, it allowed him to remember what he was fighting for more clearly than when he was anywhere else. Of course, he could never forget- _would_ never forget- what he was risking everything for yet when he was here, he could focus solely on his reasons for being so desperate to get Corrin back. All of the promises he'd made to her, all the times he'd told her he loved her and she'd told him that she loved him back and all the times they'd made each other smile; he wanted more of those times with her!

He sighed to himself. "I'm so sorry that I had to drag you into this, Azura and maybe you're right- maybe bringing you here makes me no better than the monster who took my sister to begin with however, I've said it before and I will say it again and again- as many times as it _takes_ for the world to understand: I will not- under any circumstances- falter again. I will bring Corrin home to Hoshido even if I have to sacrifice everything to do _so_."

As he started to fall asleep where he was still sat on the floor, his head resting against the wall; the prince of Hoshido found himself hoping that all of these sacrifices that he was making for Corrin, for the rest of his family and for Hoshido would be worth it. If- in the end- all of his efforts to reunite his family and to bring Corrin home to Hoshido would be in vain, he wouldn't be able to stand it _nor_ would he be able to stand becoming something that he hated in an attempt to make his dreams become a reality only to find out that despite his best efforts, they never would do. This _wasn't_ the road that the young boy wanted his life to take but if he had to take it then so be it- he would follow it until the bitter and twisted end if he had _to_.

If that level of dedication made people hate him or stopped people from understanding him or pushed people away then it would upset him but he wouldn't let it deter him. He may regret his actions in regards to Azura however; he knew he _would_ do it again if he had to in a heartbeat. How could he _not?_ His entire existence was dedicated to his family _and_ to his kingdom- he wasn't allowed to put _his_ conscience first!

He murmured his last words before he fell asleep: "Corrin, I hold dearly onto the belief that if I bring you home then I can ease the suffering on my soul a little. I can rectify the mistakes of my past and maybe even be forgiven for some of them. Come home soon, sister, I'm just…so tired of all of _this_."

With a heavy heart and a broken soul, Ryoma the prince of all of Hoshido slept fitfully that night as he tried to cling onto whatever hope for the future and for his well-being he had left.

* * *

Ugh...the ending line is so _bad!_ But other than that, I like this Chapter (even with all the guilt tripping I put in there, I'm such a mean person, aren't I?) So...Azura is finally in Hoshido. I know that she loves the Hoshidan royals in 'Fates' and classes them as family however, I find it very believable that to begin with the hypocrisy of their actions would _really_ annoy her and thus this Chapter was born! Plus she has a lot of attitude and sass in this Chapter which I like and hope you do too. Until next time. xXx


	13. A Kingdom of Despair

Hello, I'm back! It's been a while since I've posted a Chapter and that's because of a few things. The first thing was that I've been having a lot- and I do mean a lot- of problems with the laptop, problems that are still on-going and so I have no idea how that is going to impact on future updates as of this moment in time. A second reason was that I've been playing one of my favourite video games a lot again lately and so I decided to take a break to update my fan fiction based on that game. Also, another reason which is probably the main one alongside the laptop problem was that for the first time since I started to write this story, I experienced a huge case of writer's block about half way through writing this and could not for the life of me work out what to write about however, thanks to a spectacularly helpful reader ('A Furry Cat'), I found the inspiration I needed to finish off this Chapter. Even though it's not the original idea they presented to me, it still made me think to myself _'what if something like this happened...?'_ and I just ran with the idea and it worked out really well. Although the ending is terrible...again...I need more closing lines or something...

In order to avoid writer's block when it comes to the next Chapter or two, I'd appreciate some suggestions for things I could include so if you have any, feel free to contact me or to leave them in a review if you leave me one. I know I still have a few ideas that have been suggested to me by readers that I haven't used yet, don't worry, they're not forgotten, I just haven't figured out a way to use them yet. =) But I did use another suggestion that was made to me by 'Dragonna' as well during this Chapter so I hope you like how I've used it. =)

All the characters are the same age (I think, I may have to re-evaluate the ages at some point) as they were during the previous Chapter even though this is set a couple of months later. It focuses mainly on Azura and Takumi- I know! I'm surprised at the lack of Hinoka and Ryoma as well but they are still featured just not as much as them two so if you like Takumi and Azura, you're pretty much sorted for this Chapter.

Anyway, I know I've kept you waiting for this so I'll let you read it. =)

 ***Spoilers Warning*** Definite spoilers about the Avatar's actual relation to the Hoshidan royal family (hopefully people will know what that means and if they don't then that probably means they shouldn't read on). Also, spoilers about certain game events.

*I own nothing to do with 'Fire Emblem [Fates]', its locations, characters etc.*

 **Rated T (Also mild language, blood and violence in this Chapter so be warned.)**

* * *

 **Chapter Thirteen: A Kingdom of Despair**

Takumi looked on as he watched Azura approach the water's edge. She seemed to be singing some sort of song as her feet swept gracefully over the ground however, he couldn't be sure of this as he wasn't close enough to listen nor did he have any intention of getting closer.

Ever since she'd arrived in Hoshido a couple of months ago, Takumi had been keeping a very close eye on the Nohrian princess. He didn't trust her at all; she was always so quiet and so distant, she never really interacted with anyone unless they approached her first and even then, she seemed to hate it whenever people gave her the time of day.

It was clear that she preferred to be alone rather than in the company of others however, that didn't stop the rest of the Hoshidan royal family (besides himself, of _course_ ) from trying to interact with her with varying levels of success: Ryoma was always offering to help her out or to escort around Hoshido in order to keep her safe from people who disapproved of her presence but she'd always point blank refuse and stalk off before he could argue further, Hinoka had had more success with the young princess as she could often have conversations with her yet despite this, it was clear that she was still completely obsessed with bringing Corrin back and protecting Hoshido to spend too much time with her however, Sakura seemed to be completely at ease with the blue-haired girl. Maybe she viewed her as the big sister Corrin never was? Either way, Takumi didn't approve.

After all, how could _he?_ She'd grown up in enemy territory; she was probably spying on all of them and was just waiting for the right time to report back. He couldn't believe how gullible his whole family was being! Even their _mother_ Mikoto treated her like one of the family and often spent time with her, teaching her all about the culture and history of Hoshido as well as helping her with her other studies.

It sickened him but not just because he believed this girl was abusing his family's trust but also because he'd spent the first few years of his life growing up in the shadow of his siblings: Ryoma was the strong, capable prince who would one day go on to return Hoshido to its former glory, Hinoka was the determined, bodacious princess who worked tirelessly to bring their sister home and Corrin- whilst she was still in Hoshido- was the fun-loving, free-spirited young girl who inspired others to be the best they could be and now that she was in Nohr, she was their long-lost princess whose tragic fate haunted them years on and would continue to until she was brought home.

He'd even grown up in _Sakura's_ shadow; the final daughter of Ikona, shy and meek but with a heart of gold and a presence that could light up a room. But over the years, he finally thought he'd be able to show everyone what he was made of. He'd decided to pick up archery full-time after he suffered from a particularly embarrassing defeat at the hands of his elder brother and he practised for hours every single day. Luckily, his efforts had never gone unnoticed as people had started to praise his skill and dedication just as much as they praised that of his siblings. He'd finally started to believe that he was being seen as his own person with his own strengths and weaknesses and he'd finally started to accept and feel comfortable in his own role.

 _However_ , ever since she'd arrived, he'd quickly realised that he was as easily replaced and forgotten as he ever was. Due to his reluctance to get involved with _her_ , his siblings had gone back to giving him disapproving glances and treating him like nothing he ever did would be good enough. Would they truly carry on acting like that towards him if they knew one of his reasons for keeping his distance from her?

Of course, it was easy just to assume that he didn't _like_ Azura's presence in Hoshido simply because he didn't trust her however, there was more to it than that. His other reason had something to do with Corrin (after all, it always came back to _her_ , didn't it?). The elder sibling who had broken his heart by breaking her promise to him; she'd- for the longest time- been the subject of his hatred however, after he'd realised that he was pretty much duty-bound to bring her back, he'd started to see things from her perspective a little more; he hadn't forgiven her completely and he'd still prefer it if she _never_ returned to Hoshido but he'd bring her back for the sake of his people if he really had _to_.

If anyone asked, he'd claim to have completely stopped caring about her but the truth was…a cruel part of himself that wanted to torture him still loved and idolised the sister that he used to spend a lot of time with. Back when she lived in Hoshido, he never felt like he grew up in the shadow of anyone and that was because she made him feel like he was as special and as important as anybody else was; it was only after she was taken that he started to feel like the underdog. He only ever felt like he was worth anything to Corrin, he wanted and yearned for her approval and love and he knew that he would have it if she was here- unlike the rest of his siblings, she would never let him feel like he wasn't needed or wanted.

She would _never_ embarrass him by trouncing him in a sparring match like Ryoma, she'd _never_ prioritise one sibling over another like Hinoka and she _wouldn't_ forget that _he_ had weaknesses and insecurities too like Sakura.

She would always think of him and take care of him; that was just the kind of person she was. When Takumi first heard of the plan to exchange a princess of Nohr for his sister, even though he'd for the most part expected the plan to fail just like all the others, a small part of him truly believed that he would finally be getting his sibling back but alas, his hope was severely misplaced and now he was stuck with an anti-social Nohrian princess for a _'sister'_ and he was expected to just be okay with **this?!**

He was taught that it was always the quiet ones you had to look out for but now everyone was telling him to scrap that notion and to welcome Azura with open arms and to treat her just like the sister that Corrin was supposed to be for him. He couldn't stand _it_ ; he either wanted his sister Corrin back or he didn't want anyone at all. He wouldn't replace the one person who'd truly accepted him especially with the one person who'd made him the runt of the litter yet again!

He continued to watch the mysterious girl from behind the trees, his eyes narrowed when all of a sudden Hinoka bounded over to her, startling the blue-haired girl. Takumi observed them as they spoke with each other for a moment before sighing and deciding to join them.

"So…what are you doing all the way out here?" Hinoka asked Azura, a hand resting on her hip and her head cocked to one side, curiously.

"Oh…I found the place shortly after arriving here. It's a good place to go when I want to sing."

Hinoka raised an eyebrow. "You sing?"

Azura nodded curtly before responding. "I always have done, singing allows for me to escape and to get lost in my own little world it's a…relief of sorts for when I'm stressed out or upset." She clutched at a pendant around her neck looking rather pensive as she did so.

"I'd love to hear you sing sometime." Hinoka smiled at her warmly as she reached out to place her hands upon her shoulders. Azura looked so startled by the gesture that Takumi had to roll his eyes a little; _was she honestly such a stranger to human contact that even a gentle touch such as that could surprise her as easily as it did so?_ "In fact, if you want to...we could arrange for you to sing at official events here in Hoshido; it'd be terrible to let your talents go to waste."

Azura beamed up at Hinoka; her eyes brightening as she considered the proposal. A genuine smile spread across her face and she seemed to almost be bobbing up and down giddily on the spot. " ** _Really?!_ ** That'd be amazing thank you so much, Sister I-!"

Takumi's head snapped up at that and he interrupted whatever it was she was about to say, ** _"'Sister'?"_** He choked out.

Hinoka released her grip on Azura's shoulders slowly whilst observing her younger brother cautiously. Azura's eyes widened as she realised that in Takumi's eyes she'd committed a taboo act by referring to the eldest Hoshidan sister by that term.

His eyes narrowed as he took in the girl who was now frozen on the spot- a stark contrast to her former excitement. The atmosphere was tense as Takumi finally opened his mouth to unleash his wrath upon the girl. "You have no right to refer to her as your _'sister'_ ; she is no sister of yours and she never will be, understand?! _You_ haven't grown up alongside her, _you_ haven't been there as she bled, as she cried and to top it all off you're a _Nohrian!_ A vile, repulsive Nohrian, if it wasn't for your putrid excuse for a 'King', my sister-yes _my_ sister- wouldn't have spent her nights over the last few years grieving and suffering. All you are to me-to any of _us_ here- is Corrin's replacement; never forget _that._ Never forget that that's _your_ place and _your_ role here."

The pain in Azura eyes was impossibly deep-set as he railed against her and she flinched further and further away with every word that spilled from his mouth. Hinoka looked as if she was in shock at her brother's vile words; her arms were frozen at her sides and her mouth was agape as she stared at Azura, gauging her reaction.

After he finished his rant, he was breathing hard and shaking with the intensity of his anger. After a few moments, Azura regained her composure and her demeanour changed completely from the cheery, bright girl whose eyes were filled with child-like wonder at the prospect of being able to perform to that of the stoic-faced, cold and unusually mature princess that was normally on display when in the company of others. She opened her mouth as if to speak before closing it again. After a moment longer in which she bit back her anger, her cold voice rang out around them. "Very well _then_ …" Was all she said before stalking swiftly away from the Hoshidan siblings, leaving them far behind as she hid her grief from the world.

After a brief moment longer, Hinoka finally found the ability to speak again. "How- how could you say that to _her?!"_

Takumi crossed his arms over his chest defensively as he shifted away from his sister's disgusted gaze, " **What?** It's true; she's just your replacement doll until Corrin comes back."

Hinoka shook her head at her brother. "You really know nothing, do _you?_ You really think of her in that light, that that's all she is to us?"

Takumi turned to face away from her completely, "Maybe she's more than that to _you_ but that's all she'll ever be to _me_ ; all I will ever allow her to be. Does Corrin really mean so little to you, to Ryoma, to Sakura? Because the more accepting you become of the Nohrian princess, the more you abuse Corrin's memory in _my_ eyes."

He heard Hinoka gasp painfully behind him but he didn't turn to face her, all he did was close his eyes almost like he was trying to deny her pain.

"Corrin is growing up in Nohr, you said you couldn't class Azura as a sister- that _I_ shouldn't class her as one- because she wasn't there as I grew up, as I cried and as I bled but through no fault of her own, Corrin now isn't here to be there for me throughout all of those times either and yet despite that, all of your other siblings- myself included- can still class them both as _our_ family. Think about _that_."

He heard her as she retreated; no doubt going to look for Azura. Takumi felt guilt wash over him in a sudden wave. Even if he'd meant to hurt Azura, he'd never meant to hurt Hinoka and to suggest that she was abusing Corrin's memory?! How could he stoop so low after witnessing just how much she'd trained in order to be able to one day bring Corrin home? But…she had a point, Corrin had only been there until Hinoka was six-years-old and she was now eight going on nine which meant that Corrin hadn't been there for her- for any of _them_ \- for going on three years! Whilst Azura had missed their early years whilst she was in Nohr, she was now going to be here for them for however long she ended up staying in Hoshido which meant that if he was going to hate one of them for not being there throughout their entire lives; wasn't he technically bound on principle to hate the other one as well?

* * *

Azura found herself wandering around the bustling streets of Hoshido, musing to herself as she took in the people going about their day. There were people carrying fine cloths in their arms, young children running in the streets playing tag and customers discussing the wares of the many store merchants. She couldn't help but smile at the sights and smells all around her, having grown up in almost complete isolation in the dreary lands of Nohr, all of the colours and the whole atmosphere of Hoshido made her feel completely enraptured especially at this time of day- sunset was when Hoshido truly shined in her opinion- it was just all so _vibrant!_

"Well, well, well, _you're_ not a familiar face around these parts." A hand grasped her wrist and pulled her backwards, forcing her to turn in the direction of the speaker. It was a man who looked to be in his early thirties, he was all smiles and kind eyes. He didn't look dangerous however, Azura realised that it was probably best to be cautious after all, she was only a young girl and so instead of replying she just remained completely silent and still.

"Are you lost, little one?" He asked after a moment.

"No, no I'm not, thank you. I can find my way home by myself, I'm just browsing."

"Well, I'm sorry young miss but you're going to have to come with me."

Azura's eyes narrowed at the man in front of her. "Excuse me, what do you **_mean?!_** I haven't stolen anything if _that's_ what _this_ is about..."- Suddenly, he started to drag her away from the crowd. - "Wh-where are you taking me? Let go! Let go, I say!" And then he did let go, she felt herself being flung through the air and she whacked against a wall behind her, she gasped with the shock of the impact.

As soon as it no longer felt as if the world was spinning around her, she pushed herself up and looked at the man again. A crowd had gathered but instead of running to help her, they all looked at her with seething hatred and anger in their gazes; mirroring that of the man who'd originally dragged her away.

 _ **"Wh-what-?!"** _ She coughed and spluttered and she could taste blood as her shaking arms struggled to support her. "What are you doing? Why are you doing this to me?" She cried as she fell forward a bit.

Another man stepped forward to join the first, he seemed to be holding something in his hand but she couldn't tell what it was from this distance. "We know who you are, _Nohrian Princess_ , we know you're just like all those other scum! You may have brainwashed our royal family but unfortunately for you, they're not here to protect you _now_!"

Her eyes narrowed in confusion at his words and she was about to say something when all of a sudden she felt an impact against her cheek and she gasped in pain, her hand swiftly moving towards her face. When she pulled it back, she saw blood trickling down her hand. She looked back up at the crowd in surprise and saw that the second man was no longer holding whatever was originally in his hand. As she scanned the ground around herself, she saw a rock with a red substance on it and realised that he'd thrown _that_ at her.

She gasped and when she yet again turned to look the crowd, her eyes pleading with them in the hope that a least one of them would show her some mercy, she realised that more of them had stepped forward and that they also had rocks that they were throwing up into the air before catching again-taunting and teasing her.

"Please, _please_ stop this!" The normally impassive princess cried at them.

 **"No!"-** An elder man roared, as he stepped forward she realised that he walked with a slight limp and that his face as well as being twisted with rage was also contorted with pain with every step he took.- "We won't stop until _you_ Nohrian fiends feel all of the anguish and sadness that our people have suffered through tenfold! You took so much from us that day!-"

 _'That day'_? They must be referring to _that_ day in Cheve; the day that changed _everything…_

The man continued to hurl his words at her- she was getting pretty sick of people taking their anger out on _her_.- "On that day, you took away our dignity, our pride, our King and our Princess. You took away _my_ ability to serve _my_ kingdom and _my_ monarchy, you took away fathers and husbands, mothers and daughters and you've had the nerve _and_ the cheek to do so _every_ day before _and_ since."

Another stone came her way and then another and then another before she spoke up again. "I- I had nothing to do with any of _**that!"** _ She gasped out.

 **"Silence!"-** A woman cried out this time as she hurled her own rock at the timid girl. - "You're a Nohrian fiend- a Nohrian _scum_ , just your mere existence is a slight against us!" She seethed as she bent down to pick up another rock, this one was huge and Azura could tell that if it hit her it _would_ kill her. She should move, should escape, should fight back but she couldn't; she was frozen in place. A small part of her wondered, if she let the people of Hoshido exact their revenge out on her, would that put an end to the hatred and to the resentment? But she realised with a slight jolt that it wouldn't, it would only temporarily sedate their need for revenge, not erase it.

She looked back up at the woman again and she realised that everything seemed to be happening in slow motion; the woman was pulling her arm back, preparing to deliver the final blow, _**"…And don't you forget it!"** _ She screamed as she started to move her arm forward. Suddenly, a hand snapped around her wrist, preventing her from throwing the rock. The woman gasped and jumped back as she dropped her 'weapon' and it landed on the ground with a thump.

"What is the meaning of _**this?!"**_ Her voice echoed out around them as she turned to face the person who grabbed her wrist only to cry out in horror when she realised it was Ryoma. Just then, a figure stepped forward. The crowd parted to reveal Queen Mikoto; an expression of pure anger and disappointment on her face as she turned to face her people who were all quickly falling to their knees and bowing.

Ryoma released his grip on the woman's wrist- looking disgusted- and turned to the Hoshidan soldiers who had also arrived. "Arrest the ones who were throwing stones and rocks this instant, I'll deal with them later when I get the chance to." Azura gasped in relief as she saw Hinoka approaching her. A moment later the red-haired girl had her arms wrapped tightly around her, protecting her from any more pain.

"Oh, Azura! I'm so _sorry_ , after you ran off and I couldn't find you, I figured something bad was going to happen and so I returned to the castle as quickly as possible to get Ryoma and Mother but I…I'm so sorry I couldn't get here any _sooner_. Please forgive me, Sister." She cried as her arms constricted, making it difficult to breathe.

"It-it's okay, Hinoka, I'm fine, don't worry." Azura was in a daze as she looked past Hinoka back towards Queen Mikoto.

"I have never been so disgusted with you!"- She seethed as she addressed the crowd. - "All of you just stood there and did _nothing_ or even participated in this atrocious act! I can't believe that you- the people of a kingdom as great, as proud and as beautiful as Hoshido would take out your anger on an innocent child! It was a kingdom taking out their anger on a child that caused you to feel that anger to begin with!

"This girl is under the protection of the royal family and yet you still did this, look at _her_ ; look at what you've _done!_ Can you honestly tell me you're proud of _that?_ Can you honestly look me in the eyes and tell me that what you've done here today has brought you any closure?!"

The people in the crowd bowed their heads even further and Azura could hear some of them sniffling and crying and despite everything she'd just gone through, she still felt for them. It was clear that they were suffering greatly with the burdens that the feud with Nohr had placed upon them. In war or during _'petty feuds'_ between kingdoms, it wasn't just the people fighting on the front lines who suffered nor was it just them that felt fear, pain, anger or sadness; the people who wanted no part in such conflicts also had to deal with the emotional burdens as well. Although she'd never met them, there were no doubt innocent people in Nohr who would give anything to be able to give form to their suffering in the same way that this crowd of Hoshidan innocents had just done and yet because of the oppression they felt, they had no such liberty to do so. Not like attacking a child would be the right way to go about it and that was the problem with Hoshido, in comparison to Nohr, they had so much freedom and the people were so used to living in peace that when faced with potential threats and when made to experience anger or pain or trepidation, they had no idea how to deal with it and so decided to make rash decisions and lash out like _this._

In a way, even if they weren't aware of it, the royal families mirrored the feelings of their people; the Nohrian family living in fear of rebellion yet all the while yearning for change whilst having no idea of how to go about achieving it whilst the Hoshidan one was so set in their way of life, in believing in the righteous of their way of life that they would do _anything_ no matter how underhand or sneaky to preserve it. Azura was surprised by her own observation and how much it made fall into place for her; how much the intentions of the respective kingdoms affected their acts; from Garon murdering Sumeragi and kidnapping Corrin to Hoshidan ninja kidnapping her. From the disastrous _'party'_ that took place in Hoshido to Nohr refusing to trade Corrin in exchange for her. All of it made sense to her _now_ even if she still couldn't excuse any of it; _both_ of them were playing their cards whilst all the while waiting for the other side to slip up.

Azura slowly pulled away from Hinoka's grasp and proceeded to stand up. Limping slightly, she moved towards the crippled man and the grieving woman who'd attacked her, ignoring the curious stares of all those around her. They were kneeling on the ground whilst being restrained by guards and Azura knelt down in front of them, placing her hands on their shoulders; both of them were crying as they watched her.

"You can't tell her that attacking me brought you closure, can _you?_ Of course you can't, violence and revenge doesn't bring anyone any closure but sometimes it's required to make us feel better no matter how temporarily. To you, I'm just a Nohrian princess, I took everything from you-" She felt them stiffen beneath her but she carried on regardless. "-and yet, I'm flesh and blood just like _you_ and in the same way I know nothing of your lives and hardships, you know nothing of mine.

"Don't just assume because Nohr has committed volatile acts against you that _your_ kingdom is innocent and that _your_ own hands aren't stained with blood and don't just assume that because _your_ kingdom is the one being attacked that there aren't people in Nohr that desire peace. In order for peace to be obtained, we have to understand each other. I'm not sure if my words will get through to you or if they'll change _anything_ but if they make you at least take a moment to consider your options before you try to do something like _this_ again then my words are worth saying."

With that she stood up and walked away without looking back at any of them. Everyone seemed to be stunned into silence by her words whether they agreed with them or not. She knew it wouldn't change much; it was hard to change a way of life after all and besides, not everyone in Hoshido was here right now. There would always be incidents like this so long as she was in Hoshido even if they weren't to this scale but no matter what, she wouldn't let them break her. She knew the majority of people in Hoshido were good and pure just like they were in Nohr (even if she hadn't had the privilege of making the acquaintance of many) - her situation was a unique one, she'd been exposed to both worlds and no matter what she would always keep that in mind when things like this happened. She would understand Hoshido's anger whilst considering Nohr's suffering and she would remember Hoshido's determination to fight for their way of life whilst recalling Nohr's desire to have a way of life to fight _for_. Whilst she preferred Hoshido's world of peace to Nohr's world of cruelty, she could understand how their circumstances had come to create two such opposing places.

The good _and_ the bad, the light _and_ the dark, the right _and_ the wrong- opposing sides of the spectrum that were all needed for balance and both Nohr and Hoshido were capable of experiencing them. Both of them _could_ be good and _were_ capable of bad, they could bestow light as well as bring darkness and get things right and do things wrong, it's just both kingdoms were more willing to admit to being capable of doing different things to achieve their goals. Hoshido, a kingdom who believed that it _always_ did right by everyone and Nohr, a place that did bad but claimed to do it for the sake of _their_ people.

No matter the case, it was clear to Azura that both kingdoms were suffering greatly and that that suffering had to end as soon as possible if there was any hope of anyone ever finding peace during their lifetimes; she just hoped that the road to peace would be as easy to follow as it sounded.

* * *

So...I finally managed to finish this Chapter! *Yeahy* I hope it was okay, I personally find it really insightful and I loved writing it even if the second half made me really sad. =( Until next time. xXx


	14. Heal a Wilting Flower, Hear a Mum's Cry

Yeah, this intro is going to be rather long so feel free to skip it if you feel the need.

 **'...Come one, come all,**

 **It's time to return to the...err...s** **mall? Ball? Brawl?...'**

 **...Ehh...*waves hand dismissively* never mind.**

*Ahem* Why hello everyone! It feels so good to be back. =D I didn't even realise how much I've missed writing this story until I got about half way through this Chapter and then it was like the spark, the fire and the passion all came back to me. So...what inspired me to pick 'Reasons to Fight' back up again? Well, my friends, the answer is 'Conquest'. Yep, I too find it rather ironic that the game that focuses on the Nohrian siblings is the game that finally made me find the will to write about the Hoshidan siblings but ehh, my brain is strange sometimes.

However, that wasn't the only thing that inspired me to write this Chapter but I'll get to that in a moment after I apologise for my long absence from this story. Nothing annoys me more than when people- during the posting of a story that a lot of people are interested in- then suddenly stops and unfortunately I became one of those people because in the same way that unforeseen circumstances affect their ability to write and post Chapters, they also affected mine as well. Between laptop problems, lack of inspiration, lack of drive, getting a job (yep, I have one of those now) and other less important things, I just haven't found the will to write more of this story. It wasn't helped by the fact that after the first twelve Chapters of 'Reasons to Fight' I sort of became disillusioned with 'Fates' and approached the end of my 'honeymoon' period with the game. Europe was one of the last places to get the game and I was so happy just to have it in my hands that I didn't take into consideration all of its faults and flaws like the plot for example and so when I started to realise these things, I sort of lost my drive to write about it however, now I've come to relatively accept 'Fates' for what it is, I should be able to write again however, there are no guarantees in life and so I can't say with any certainty that this story will get updated as regularly as it used to be.

Having said that, it should be said that you guys have been really patient with me and for that I now give to you a huge **THANK YOU** from the very bottom of my heart and soul. I know that normally if authors drop stories halfway through or whatever, then normally they get people begging them for updates and I'm pleased to say that I haven't had anyone begging me to update this. I'm sorry I had to repay that understanding with such a huge break between the last Chapter and this one but I'm still grateful for your kindness.

So...about the other thing that made finally gave me the inspiration to write this Chapter, believe it or not in the last couple of months, my maternal instincts started to kick in (I know, I'm scared too!) and so that finally made me want to write a chapter that finally focused on Mikoto, I've always pictured her as being a rather...eccentric character and so that's what I've made her. With the help from an idea by **'StarAF938'** that was suggested to me a while back, I managed to show what Mikoto is going through after having her daughter taken from her. I also managed to develop Sakura some more but still not enough for my liking ah well, in another chapter I suppose...

I must point out that I think I've gone wrong with the ages at some point but I can't exactly pinpoint where; at the moment Azura is older then Hinoka. That's because I want Azura to be one year older then Corrin is apart from a brief period in which Corrin is the same age as Azura before Azura's next birthday and Corrin is supposed to be eight so Azura should be nine however, Hinoka's birthday (eighteenth of August) is after Azura's (third of March). So it's actually supposed to be that Hinoka is already nine after that, Corrin turns eight and Azura turns nine and the events of the last Chapter are actually set after Sakura has already turned five. By the events in this Chapter- in theory- Ryoma should be fourteen, Hinoka is ten, Azura is nine, Corrin is eight, Takumi is still five (since his birthday is in December) and Sakura is four. ...That should be right now but I'm still unsure as my maths is terrible and I can't change the past Chapters anymore as most of them aren't in the Doc. Manager and I don't have them anymore. =/ But for now, let's say this is right and if it isn't just pretend it is. :P

 **The final thing I want to say is that people seem to want me to cover different routes; some want 'Conquest', some want 'Birthright' and some want 'Revelations'. Personally, I have pros and cons for each route however, I'm actually considering creating my own route for this story which takes elements from the three actual in-game routes as well as my own ideas, that way I can borrow and use elements whilst altering things as I go and coming up with my own ideas as to which characters are going to die and live etc. Of course, I have cons for this idea e.g., there's no guarantee my own original route will be any good, some people may not like the changes from the actual game, I wouldn't be able to give up on this story (not like I plan to, though) as no one else would have any idea as to where I would want it to go. So...let me know what you think of this idea.**

Anyway, I've kept you waiting long enough. Here it is, Chapter Fourteen of 'Reasons to Fight'.

 ***Spoilers Warning*** Definite spoilers about the Avatar's actual relation to the Hoshidan royal family (hopefully people will know what this means and if they don't then that probably means they shouldn't read on). Also, spoilers about certain game events.

 **Disclaimer:** *I own nothing to do with 'Fire Emblem [Fates]', it's locations, characters etc.*

 **Rated T. (Mild blood)**

* * *

 **Reasons to Fight: Heal a Wilting Flower, Hear a Mum's Cry**

Azura wandered the halls of the Hoshidan palace all the while humming that familiar tune that was taught to her long ago by the only person who ever seemed to truly care for her well-being.

Just months after the traumatising event that took place on the streets of her new home, Azura had finally come to accept that this was her new home, that there was no chance of her returning to Nohr anytime soon and that there was an even smaller chance of seeing the Hoshidan siblings be reunited with their true sister. She was actually rather surprised by how little time it took for her to come to terms with that fact especially since the Hoshidan royal siblings with their dedication to bringing Corrin home would make anyone think their sister was taken yesterday- not four years ago!

It was late at night and all was quiet apart from her humming; she moved silently, her dress sweeping the floor gracefully. She was completely consumed with her own thoughts and wasn't really playing attention to anything around her although if she did, she would no doubt just notice things she already knew. Like how Ryoma's retainer was keeping an eye on her from the shadows- ever suspicious and wary and waiting for her to put one step out of place or how the guards were watching her from the corner of their eyes, not necessarily with suspicion (well…not much) but just out of mere curiosity as to why she was up so late (or early, depending on how you look at it). She would probably notice the gentle breeze that flowed through the halls or the multitude of decorations strewn across the walls- paintings, legendary weapons used in great battles and many more typical trinkets that you'd except to be displayed in almost any home in Hoshido.

She wandered into the kitchen in order to get herself a glass of water when all of a sudden, she realised she was being followed…and not by one of her usual stalkers. She turned suddenly, dropping the glass in her hand as it landed on the floor with a _'smash'_ , her hand flew to her chest, resting against the thudding of her heartbeat as she met the eyes of her follower.

To her surprise, all she found was a timid Sakura gazing up at her uncertainly. "I'm s-sorry for scaring you, Azura. Here, let me help clean up."

"No, no, it's fine. Wait-!"- Azura reached out to place her hand over the little girl's as she reached out to pick up a particularly sharp piece of glass.

"Gah!" Sakura cried as she drew her hand back, blood began to seep from her finger as she began to cry.

Azura rolled her eyes at her- what a clumsy fool! She thought as she bent down to pick her up of the floor. "Honestly, Sakura, I told you to wait, now look what's happened!" She scolded as she carefully side-stepped the glass. "Let's go and get you sorted out."

Luckily, Azura knew by now where all of the healing equipment was kept. She placed Sakura down on a chair as she went to take what she needed out of the cupboard. Apart from Sakura's whimpers, all was silent right up until the moment that Azura sat on a stool in front of the youngest princess of Hoshido.

"So…why _were_ you following me?" Azura's strangely-coloured eyes pierced into the wide-eyed gaze of the small child as she carefully took the piece of glass out of Sakura's finger.

Sakura looked baffled by the question. "I-I wasn't…"

"Oh come on _now_!" Azura's curt remark made the girl flinch back in shock so Azura calmed herself down a little before trying to address her again. "It was obvious."

"I-I just well…"- Sakura hesitated. – "The truth is, I'm curious about you. I've known you for a little bit of time now but I still don't know much a-about you. About your life before you c-came here."

Azura who had been tending to Sakura's wound paused for a moment and turned her head away. "You don't need to know anything about me." She whispered. "I'm not your sister, Corrin is." When she looked back at Sakura again, she realised that her legs had begun to move in circles and that she was looking down at the floor rather than at her or at her wound. She's being very brave, Azura thought, smiling wryly

"That's what everyone says but I…I barely knew Corrin. She's supposed to be my sister but, I don't think of her in the way I think of Hinoka so…I wanted to learn more about you, I don't want to have the same problem with you that I have with Corrin!"

Azura tightened the bandage on Sakura's finger a little tighter than she was supposed to when she heard Sakura say that. "Our situation will never be the same as the one you have with Corrin so you don't need to concern yourself with that or with me." She started to move away from Sakura so she could put the items she'd been using away but Sakura gripped onto her and wouldn't let go.

"But- but I…a couple of years ago, I overheard some maids talking. They said _I_ was supposed to be taken, not Corrin! What if that's true? If I was supposed to be taken and Corrin was supposed to stay here then it's all my fault she got taken! It's all my fault she's gone and that everyone- including you- is suffering."

Sakura looked down at her shaking hands as she began to cry again. "King Garon wanted me but he took Corrin in my stead because she was an easier target, that's like you, right? Ryoma ordered some of his soldiers to take you because you were an easier target then Corrin and since you've come here you've been attacker more times than we can count, you've been suffering here like Corrin is no doubt suffering in Nohr-"

"Who told you that? Because…I doubt that very much." Azura interjected.

Sakura looked at her in surprise. _**"What?!"**_ She exclaimed.

Azura recalled what she'd told Ryoma the day she'd arrived at the Hoshidan palace:

 _'…"However, if they're treating her in the same manner that they used to treat me then I'm afraid that the life she's leading in Nohr is by no means a happy one."…'_

Had he gone ahead and told his siblings that?! _That stupid, bumbling fool of a prince!_ He always believed that everyone should be able to deal with burdens regardless of how heavy they were. Maybe it was because he had to cope with so many of his own that it really didn't occur to him that other people may not be as used to it as him? That was the only logical explanation that Azura could come up with to explain what went on in that head of his.

Since she'd come to Hoshido, she'd come to learn a lot about the family that she now belonged to (well…in theory she did.) Hinoka was bright, brave and bubbly. She was a bit of a tomboy and was probably the closest sibling to Ryoma- always teasing and taunting him and getting away with things he'd never allow anyone else to get away with- although from what she'd gathered, he and Corrin were closer still mainly because he was incredibly protective of his sibling before she was kidnapped and since then, he'd become even more protective of his sister's in legacy in Hoshido which Azura understood after all, without that legacy, people would start to forget about her and the chances of bringing her back to Hoshido alive would grow dimmer and dimmer until they disappeared completely. That sort of mind set had rubbed off on Hinoka considerably over the years and had made her cautious and more responsible than she had been as a young child but even so, she was still the most easy-going sibling.

Takumi on the other hand was still a nut that Azura had yet to crack; he was cold and desolate with her always and never allowed any form of communication between them to go on for any longer than was absolutely necessary. The first time she'd referred to him by name over the dinner table he flipped completely…

 _"How dare you call me 'Takumi' so nonchalantly, like I've given you permission to ever call me that!"_ He'd screamed at her before proceeding to throw a bowl of rice over her head.

…It'd taken her days to get all of that out!

But on occasion, she had caught a glimpse of the real Takumi. He was insecure and uncertain; he felt as if he belonged in the shadow of all of his siblings and he felt betrayed by Corrin. Azura had managed to work out that Takumi was at a…difficult age when Corrin was taken; he was old enough to miss her and to remember her but he wasn't old enough to understand what had happened or to come to terms with it in a way that would protect from the long-term scars he was now suffering from. He'd grown up under Corrin's shadow through no fault of his own and yet everyone acted as if it was his fault and so Azura could understand that he'd have the greatest amount of difficulty with learning to trust her and to accept her amongst his family.

It still didn't make things like having bowls of rice thrown over your head any less humiliating and degrading. On that particular day she'd been so upset she'd actually threatened to run back to Nohr- and that was saying something!

Also, it went without saying that Takumi grew up being the Hoshidan brother that was _'strong but not as strong as Ryoma. Brave but not as brave as Ryoma. A great potential future king of Hoshido but not quite as great of a potential future king as Ryoma._ ' Speaking of which, what could be said about that fool of a prince? For all of his smarts and dignity, he sure was capable of being an idiot. Case in point: him telling his siblings all about Azura's comments on what life was no doubt like for Corrin in Nohr without taking into consideration the context under which that was said.

She'd told him that on the same day that she was brought to Hoshido and made to be their prisoner even if it was just in name alone. She was tired and miserable and cranky and she'd wanted to hurt the people who believed that the best way to fight fire was with fire. But the young prince had seemingly taken her at her word and had gone on to share that information with his siblings even the youngest and most vulnerable one.

Azura looked at the girl in her red night clothes now; she was so small that she was practically swimming in them even though they were hers! Sakura, the young Hoshidan princess had taken an avid interest in Azura but up until now, Azura had never given it much heed. But now, the more thought she gave it, the more the pieces of the puzzle started to come together: the way that Sakura would always ask for her help with her work, the way that every time she was practising how to play the koto she would ask Azura to accompany her even though she could hardly play more than a note so there was no possible way for Azura to sing along with what she was playing and the way that she was always asking Azura questions about her past even though Azura never really bothered to answer them in any depth.

That curious child spoke up again now, putting more force behind her words than usual, "What did you mean by that, Azura?!"

Azura sighed, she knew that Sakura wouldn't like the answer but it was better than having her believe that Corrin was being subjected to some kind of cruel torture. "I just mean that Corrin is a perfect pawn for King Garon to use against Hoshido."

Sakura stood up from her chair and moved away from Azura, "A per-fect pawn?" She whispered.

"Yes, she's dear Queen Mikoto's precious _daughter_ , a joy to the Hoshidan people and the light of the Hoshidan royal siblings' lives, he would be a fool to throw an opportunity like that away."

Sakura looked a lot more bright and happy after hearing that news, she was probably too young to pick up on the underlying meaning that Garon was using Corrin to torture Hoshido, her and her siblings and her mother as well. "I must point out, Sakura, that that is just my assumption but I could be wrong; there is a chance her life in Nohr is torturous regardless of whether or not it's the Nohrians themselves who are hurting her, especially if she remembers the events in Cheve and knows that she isn't with her true family here in Hoshido. Also, just because she isn't being tortured by the king now, it doesn't mean that that won't change if a situation arises that means that it would be beneficial for him to use the threat of torturing Corrin as a means to control Hoshido."

Sakura gasped audibly at Azura's bluntness. Sheesh, she felt like such a hypocrite calling Ryoma a bumbling idiot for revealing such dark truths to his siblings when Azura was doing the exact same thing however, if Sakura truly wanted to get to know her then she had to accept that she was more than aware of how Nohr's king operated and what that could mean for Corrin.

"Sakura-I" Azura made a move towards the little girl but Sakura shrank away, cupping her hands over her mouth as tears began to spill from her eyes again. She ran out of the room so fast that Azura was too shocked to follow her for a moment.

"Sakura!" She pleaded as she made a move to follow her from the room when suddenly a figure blocked the doorway so that she couldn't give chase.

Now it was Azura' turn to stumble over her words. "Q-Queen Mikoto!"

The Queen smiled warmly at the blue-haired princess as she placed a hand upon her shoulder in order to maneuverer them both back into the room that Azura was just about to flee from.

"Azura, dear, must you frighten Sakura like that with such a dreadful story?"

Her eyes narrowed at the Queen's words, "But it's not a story, it could be the truth."

Mikoto nodded gravely as she considered the possibility that yes, her daughter was just a pawn to be used if King Garon ever came to the conclusion that Hoshido and/or its royal family were had taken a step out of the line that he had set. "Yes, I'm aware of that more than most. I don't even think Ryoma wants to consider that King Garon could stoop so low even though he was there to witness- in person- that same man kill his Father in cold blood and then take his sister from him. To use an innocent child in such a way…" Mikoto grabbed onto the back of the chair that Sakura was just sitting on, her knuckles going white from the strain as she grimaced; her eyes going distant as she picture any harm becoming her child.

Suddenly, Mikoto recovered her normal graceful demeanour, losing all air of the grieving mother and showing all the might of a queen "However, until we have proof that there's any truth to your words, it is just a story especially where Sakura is concerned, do I make myself _clear?"_

Azura found herself bowing slightly which was strange as she knew Mikoto wasn't the type to boss people around nor was she afraid of the woman after all, in contrast to the ruler of Nohr, she was always kind and considerate but Azura felt as if it wasn't her place to go against her wishes. She was just a stranger passing through Hoshido, one day- when Corrin returned- there would no longer be a place for her here and she wouldn't be allowed to return to Nohr and so she would be alone all over again.

Azura was expecting some acknowledgement of her acceptance however; Mikoto didn't even give her response the time of day before drifting off-topic, "After the night that saw my husband slayed and my daughter taken, I've had a dream almost every night, a…vision if you will about the day I will see my daughter again. She will glow as radiant as the sun, her eyes will be as curious as they ever were however, she know nothing of me, nothing of her past and nothing of her siblings. For some reason, the thought of her not remembering her siblings hurts more than her not remember me." She mused.

"Anyway, in this vision, my time with her once she returns is brief to say the least, cut short by something that even the vision itself seems uncertain of. All I know is that my death will spark a turning point for everyone both in Hoshido, Nohr and elsewhere and that my daughter will make a choice, a choice so significant that the lives of everyone will change forever. Can you believe it, _my_ daughter, a catalyst to change?"

Azura raised an eyebrow at the queen, _has she gone off the deep end or something? Maybe I should get help…_

Mikoto smiled at Azura as she came over to brush a strand of her hair out of her face. "You don't believe me, do _you?"-_ She paused for a moment however; Azura didn't feel the need to fill that silence with a response when it was clearly written all over her face for all to see! – "It's all right, I understand. Even Yukimura thinks I'm a little bit crazy even if he's too polite to say it to my face and Orochi has consulted her cards many times and has never been able to find any substance to my 'vision' but…a mother knows, you know?

"A mother knows what their child is capable of and even though due to the circumstances, I will never be able to claim that I've had much of a role in her life, I know that she's capable of making me proud even if the decision she makes is one that not everyone will like. Huh, maybe it will be one that if I believed I was going to be there to witness it being made even I wouldn't like it, wouldn't that be funny? My daughter launching some sort of teenage rebellion against a mother she barely knows?"

"Don't mind my saying this, Queen Mikoto but you do have a rather…unusual sense of humour."

"Yes, but it's our unusual traits that people will remember long after we're gone, right _Azura_?" Mikoto winked at her before turning to leave the room.

Azura followed her out of the door and stood there as she watched the queen go, her hair swishing behind her. All of a sudden the queen turned back to her. Her voice now taking on a more subdued tone than it had just a moment ago, "You know you should really try to make an effort with the Hoshidan siblings, Sakura especially. Unlike the others, Sakura really has no memories of Corrin to hold on to and it hurts her because she feels like she's missing out and that because she doesn't fully understand the pain that they're all feeling that they can never fully see her as a sister of theirs'. If you can build a relationship with her then maybe she won't feel so alone because even when her blood siblings can't understand her, you'll be able to."

"I-I'll keep that in mind, thank you Mikoto."

Mikoto nodded as she started to wander down the hallway again; Azura didn't think she could take any more surprises that night; she was just about to take her leave and go back to her own room when the final surprise of the night occurred…

…Mikoto started to sing and the words were so familiar to Azura that it hurt,

"…You are the ocean's gray waves,

Destined to seek

Life beyond the shore…"

* * *

Meanwhile, in Sakura's room, the young girl after she'd gotten over what she'd heard from Azura found herself staring at the bandage on her finger.

Azura had fixed her up physically and then hurt her emotionally, it was tiring being played with like that however, Sakura had wanted Azure to let her in to her psyche a bit more, she shouldn't harvest a dislike for the results.

Sakura really despised the fact that she was the youngest Hoshidan sibling, no one understood her pain apart from her mother who always took good care of her but even then, she still couldn't sympathise with her mother when she would see something that reminded her of Corrin and she suddenly recalled a memory from the past that Sakura couldn't because she wasn't then when it happened.

That's why she wanted to go out of her way to get close to Azura, even if Azura didn't see her as anything more than a nuisance, she wanted to get close to her so that if anything should happen that caused them to be separated in the future then Sakura would have something to hold onto long after they had parted ways. She wanted to matter just as much as the rest of her family did. She wasn't any good with weapons or leading troops or dealing with battles or politics.

"How can I stand on my own? How can I be any use to _anyone_?"

Of course, it could be argued that since she was only four, she didn't have to find her identity within her family however, they were all such big characters- if she didn't start to work out her own role within the play now then she'd never be able to be worthy of her family's name.

"I don't want to hurt anyone, though." She murmured as she looked out of her window, all the while rubbing the bandage on her finger. Just then, she looked down at her finger.

 _People I love always get hurt._ \- She thought to herself. – _And yet…no matter how much they suffer or how much they cause others to suffer, they still fight on. But I don't want to hurt anyone nor do I want anyone to hurt me._

 _'However, should I ever need to hurt someone for the sake of Hoshido or for my family then I would do in a heartbeat. But I'd still hold onto my principles; no one should have to suffer.'_

It was in that moment, the girl who was still just a child decided to heal those in need after all- if she couldn't find a way to prevent her own suffering then she might as well try to mask that fact by healing the pain of her people, her family and all she held dear.

"This shall be my roll whilst we're on the quest for peace."

* * *

I made it! *Yeahy!* I hope you guys liked this Chapter, I must say I did, it was refreshing to write about characters I haven't had much of chance to write about up until this point. A huge thanks to the singer **Kate Bush** whose music helped me to find the drive to write again, here's hoping it lasts. =) Until next time. xXx


	15. A Princess' Fears

Testing...testing...one...two...three,

Hello? Hello, can anyone out there hear me?

Heh, sorry, I'll stop being strange now. xD But anyway, hey, how have you all been lately? It's been a while. In fact, it's been more than a while, I last updated this on the 6th of October last year! can you believe it? I certainly can't. It'll be interesting to see how people respond to this story (finally) coming back to life.

Of course, I didn't just abandon it for no reason, shortly after I last updated this, I went through a really difficult patch where I was struggling mainly with stress and anxiety and I was so run down and busy I just didn't want to update my stories anymore. Then the laptop I did most of my writing on died and I had no way to write stuff anymore and when I finally found a way around that problem, I just didn't know what to type. I genuinely love writing this story and I have a lot of ideas for future Chapters however, bridging the gap between the current Chapters and the ones I already have planned has proven to be a very difficult task. When I did finally have an idea for this Chapter, I couldn't think of a way to flesh it out.

But then, yesterday, I was on a coach and for some reason whilst I was listening to the album 'Under The Pink' by Tori Amos and looking at the view as the sun streamed through the window, I finally worked out how to start this Chapter and- as many writers will tell you- the beginning is the hardest part and once you've overcome that hurdle, the rest is easy.

There are only around one or two more Chapters left before we move on from the aftermath of the Cheve events for Hoshido and moving on to Corrin's experiences growing up in Nohr. So if you've been looking forward to those Chapters, you're in luck (well...unless my brain decides to get writer's block again because my brain is awkward like that).

This Chapter takes place three years after the events of the last Chapter. Ages are as follows: Ryoma is seventeen, Hinoka is twelve (nearly thirteen), Azura is twelve, Takumi is seven (due to turn eight during the same year this Chapter is set in) and Sakura is seven. Corrin has been in Nohr for six years by this point.

Well...without further ado, here is Chapter Fifteen of 'Reasons To Fight'. I hope you enjoy. =)

 ***Spoilers Warning*** Definite spoilers about the Avatar's actual relation to the Hoshidan royal family (hopefully people will know what this means and if they don't then that probably means they shouldn't read on). Also, spoilers about certain game events.

 **Disclaimer:** I own nothing to do with 'Fire Emblem [Fates]', its locations, characters etc. All rights go to their respective owners.

 **Rated T.**

* * *

 **Reasons To Fight: A Princess' Fears**

The bustling streets of Hoshido were an unusual sight to behold.

In most cities, towns, countries and even villages, it wasn't unheard of for the people to find any reason to celebrate so such busy streets wouldn't be out of place however in Hoshido, it was a rarity after the death of Sumeragi and the kidnap of Corrin. Case in point: the length of time between one celebration and the next. There hadn't been an official celebration since the celebration of a new year nearly six months previously and the only other official event had been a day of mourning/remembrance for the events that occurred six years ago. So...yeah, celebrations in Hoshido were a rarity.

This new holiday which if it proved to be a success was supposed to become an annual event that would celebrate Hoshido and its culture by giving its people and visitors a chance to experience the food, music, entertainment and culture of the once proud nation. It was Mikoto's decision as she'd decided with the help of Orochi and Yukimura that it was time to allow the people of Hoshido to feel united again against all of the threats that they stilled faced from Nohr. Mikoto had become loved and revered amongst all of her subjects during the course of her reign. Maybe it was because of her peaceful stance? Or the fact that even with all of the adversity she'd faced she was still just as goofy, kind and as admirable as she'd always been? Or maybe it was because of the fact that her love for both the rest of the royal family and for Hoshido was just the purest kind of love and that during these trying times, that love was the only thing helping the people recover.

Regardless of the reason of the people for feeling so much awe for their queen, it was still the main driving inspiration for why everyone wanted this new festival to be a roaring success. They wanted everything to succeed; the tourists to love their culture, the people to feel happy again and even for the royal family to become even more adored by the masses. In fact, it already felt as if the entire event was guaranteed to be a winner from the get-go.

Well...there _was_ one rather controversial aspect...

...Azura was going to be performing at the event.

During the three years since she had begun to live within the boundaries of Hoshido, the public hadn't warmed up to her in the slightest even if they were less vocal with their disapproval than they'd once been; they still just saw her as nothing more than a captive of the royal family, a bargaining chip that they'd gambled with and lost with and now they were stuck with. That was despite the fact that everyone who was in the royal family- well...apart from Takumi- was very accepting of her and cared for her like she was one of their own. Azura was always an outcast wherever she was and so the attitudes of the people of Hoshido didn't bother her anymore however, that didn't make her any less nervous about performing at such an important festival.

So that raised the question: why had she accepted if she knew that at best she'd most probably only receive a lukewarm response? Well, the truth was, Mikoto had asked her directly to perform at the event and after all she'd done for Azura, she couldn't bring herself to turn the Queen down especially when she'd looked at her with wide puppy dog eyes and a trembling lower lip which suggested she would break down crying if Azura refused. When Ryoma asked Azura why she'd agreed to the performance out of mere curiosity and she'd told him, he'd uncharacteristically burst out laughing and had this to say,

"Yeah, it must be a family thing; Corrin had the exact same ability to make anyone give into her plights just by bringing out that vulnerable face."

...His mood returned to its unusual sombre one after that statement.

She couldn't- no- _wouldn't_ let herself forget that she wasn't supposed to be here in Hoshido, Corrin was and if Corrin was here there was no way that she'd be performing at this ceremony in the first place. In fact, she'd often wondered what her life would've been like if she'd never been taken from Nohr and Corrin in from Hoshido; would she have ever had the chance to cross paths with the Hoshidan royals and if she had, would it have only been as enemies? Because for Azura now- _here-_ in this version of things, she couldn't bring herself to ever want to leave Hoshido or its royal family despite the fact it hadn't been her choice to come here and whenever she thought like that, she then felt selfish because her presence here was robbing another innocent child of their rightful home and family and instead leaving her to live out the gruesome childhood which would have been Azura's if she'd never left Nohr. It was a tricky, conflicting situation and one that would never be resolved easily.

That's why Mikoto saw events such as this as important as they'd help everyone- not just the people of Hoshido- to forget their troubles and worries for a time. As a kingdom that had been left tattered and torn apart by the loss of so much, it was time to rebuild and to find peace. But that explanation left Azura out in the cold, this event wasn't to benefit her- it was her people that had torn away so much from Hoshido to begin with and yet she had the cheek to agree to perform at it.

She bit her lip nervously and stared down at her feet. She was wearing a variation of her usual dress except this one had the Hoshidan crest on it. The now twelve-year-old had never been this nervous about a performance before and she'd done a lot of them. She was expected to perform traditional Hoshidan songs as well as one written especially for the occasion by one of the kingdom's finest poets. She'd been practising non-stop for the event as she wanted to do it justice.

"Are you n-nervous?" A timid voice spoke up, making her look up. Sakura was stood there wearing a kimono and looking worried herself. Sakura would be one of the musicians performing at the event; she'd be playing the koto, an instrument she often practised with and performed duets with alongside Azura.

Sakura was the Hoshidan royal that Azura was closest to. After their conversation in the kitchen years ago, Sakura had continued to follow Azura around constantly. At first Azura had just ignored her in an attempt to not slip up like she did that night but as time passed, they'd become closer and closer. Azura would tell Sakura scary stories and Sakura taught Azura a lot about healing and first aid. They had a lot of conversations together and loved the company. They were both rather shy, reserved people who preferred to be alone so they were also very good at working out when the other needed to be left alone or were hiding their true feelings. It was a true big sister/little sister relationship that the two of them shared and they were grateful for their bond with one another.

"I am a little nervous, yes. Are you?" Azura brushed her hands along her dress pretending to smooth it out rather than admit to just wanting something to do with her hands.

"Th-this is _me_ we're talking about; of course I'm ne-nervous!"

Azura smiled as reassuringly as she could, "I'm sure it will all turn out fine after all, the sun is shining brightly, it's a lovely warm day and the Sakura trees are in full bloom, it can only be a sign of good things to come." She winked at the princess.

Sakura giggled slightly, "That sounds strange coming from you, Azura but...thanks, I know you're trying to help and I appreciate that very much."

"Lady Sakura!"

Both girls turned to face the two people that was walking in their direction; one was a boy that was slightly older than them with vibrant red hair and an outfit that Azura instantly recognised as that of male Sky Knights whilst the girl was the exact same age as Sakura and they'd been friend since their early childhoods. They were Sakura's retainers; Subaki and Hana.

"See I told you she was close by." Subaki stated proudly as he turned to face an annoyed Hana.

"Oh whatever, 'Mr. Perfect', we're her _retainers_ and this is a public event; we should be watching her 24/7, I haven't seen Saizo or Kagero abandon _their_ posts." Her cheeks puffed out as she fumed at the smug boy.

"Technically, Sakura never actually _assigned_ us to a post. Also, Kagero and Saizo are Ninja of course you haven't seen them."

"Oh you know what I mean you-"

Sakura put both of her hands up in the air. "S-stop it, please!" she screeched.

Both of her retainers stopped their argument and turned to face the youngest Hoshidan princess; their eyes blinking in surprise at the outburst.

Sakura cleared her throat slightly, "People are looking at you and as a result- at me! I know it's a moot point since I'll be performing soon but I am a part of the Hoshidan royal family; we're supposed to be reserved and dignified with the best people around to protect us. It doesn't look good if the people see my retainers bickering so soon before a big performance."

"Sorry, Lady Sakura." Both of them said in unison as they bowed.

Suddenly, a loud cheer erupted from nearby and all of them turned to look towards the sound.

"D-don't worry about it for the moment, I'm up on stage in ten minutes, we need to go!"

Subaki and Hana nodded in agreement as Sakura turned to face Azura, "I'm up on stage to before you, so I'll see you on stage when your performing, I'll be providing backing music for you along with the other musicians. G-good luck."

Smiling slightly Azura nodded at Sakura, "You too."

Sakura and Subaki began to walk away as Azura stood up in order to finish her preparations for her performance when she suddenly felt a tap on her shoulder.

When she turned she saw Hana was still stood there glaring at her. "Is something wrong?" She asked.

"I want to make it clear that none of us retainers approve of you here in Hoshido even after all of this time. You're still nothing more than a suspicious Nohrian to us. As such, I'm wary of Sakura having such a close relationship with you however, as her retainer, it isn't my place to tell her what she can or can't do or who she can and can't befriend but despite that, that doesn't mean I have to turn a blind eye. I'm _always_ watching you, got it?"

"Of course." Azura murmured without a second thought as she was used to this treatment and such warnings from the retainers.

Hana turned without another word in order to catch up with Sakura and Subaki.

A while later, clapping began to sound out around Hoshido as the first performers took to the stage. Azura sighed and got back to work preparing for the make of break performance she was about to give.

* * *

"You two were amazing today!" Slim yet strong arms wrapped around both Azura's and Sakura's shoulders unexpectedly as Hinoka pulled them into a congratulatory embrace.

"Th-thank you, Hinoka" Sakura sounded relieved by the complement as she bowed slightly.

The sun was beginning to set in the sky, after the concert which luckily went off without a hitch, all of the performers went to change before re-joining the festivities. Since neither Sakura nor Azura had any idea where either Mikoto, Hinoka, Takumi or even Ryoma would be, they'd gone around the stalls together for a few hours and had bought some Hoshidan delicacies and so memorabilia of the day from the stores. After that, they'd gone to the lake to sit and watch the world go by as they talked for a while. They had just decided to go and look for the others but Hinoka's 'sneak attack' meant there was no need for that especially since Takumi and Ryoma were already with her.

Hinoka was quick to sit next to them before moving to rest her head on the ground with just her hands protecting her hair from getting sand in. She looked completely relaxed and at ease; she was clearly the least reserved Hoshidan royal and was rather boisterous but lovable in every way and very caring.

"Don't you think they did well Takumi?"

Takumi was stood a few feet away with his arms wrapped over his chest and he wasn't looking at Azura. "Well, Sakura did at least." He muttered under his breath.

Ryoma who had also chosen to remain standing raised an eyebrow at Takumi's underhand comment and his mouth pulled down at the corners to form a disapproving frown.

Takumi tried to stare his elder brother down but a few moments later sighed in defeat and turned to his sisters and... _her_ before speaking, "You both did very well and the concert was a huge success, well done." Looking back at Ryoma to gauge his reaction he saw his brother roll his eyes at his insincere 'compliment' to Azura.

 _Of course I can't do anything right in his eyes._ Takumi thought bitterly.

Meanwhile, as the silent bickering between the two brothers continued, Sakura began to look more and more dejected. Of course, Takumi's reluctance to outwardly compliment the performances stemmed from him not wanting to praise Azura but Sakura's insecurities meant that she took his attitude as a sign that she'd somehow failed.

Azura on the other hand knew that Takumi just didn't want to congratulate her on a job well done but she could see that Sakura thought she was also being criticised. She placed a hand on the young girl's shoulders.

Takumi was ranting about something when Azura spoke up, "Can't you at least reassure Sakura that she did a good job?"

"Huh? Oh yeah, well done Sakura." Takumi waved a hand dismissively.

"That's it?" Azura asked exasperated.

"Well of course _not_ but I'm busy right now or can't you see that?"

Hinoka stood up and grabbed Takumi by the shoulder, "Hey, knock it off will you?" She nodded her head pointedly at Sakura who had begun to cry against Azura's shoulder.

Takumi went to sit on the other side of Sakura and pulled her from Azura's grasp to wrap his arms around her. "Hey, I'm sorry, okay? You really were fantastic, honest, so please don't cry, Sakura."

"I-I'm not crying about that anymore." She sniffled.

"Then what is it about?" Ryoma asked concerned.

"Today is supposed to be a happy day and yet...here we are...bickering and fighting. It's just so irritating!" She shoved Takumi away and brought her knees up to her chest, burying her face as she continued to cry.

Takumi opened his mouth, then closed it again, eventually he spoke up, "Y-you're right, I'm sorry, honestly."

"You should be." Hinoka remarked as she went to sit next to her younger brother, "Trying to ruin this day, but you've apologised so...we'll let you off, right Azura?Ryoma?"

"Yeah, sure." Azura smiled at him.

Ryoma just nodded- ever the stoic.

Ryoma sat next to Azura as they all waited for Sakura to calm down. Eventually, Sakura looked up at the gleaming sun illuminating the sky with the last light of day. Darkness: it always made Sakura think of Nohr- the night kingdom- ever gloomy and forlorn apparently. She shouldn't be here...should she? But who could she ask about _that_? Then she looked across at her eldest brother who was staring at the sky intently in silence, the ever trusty Raijinto at his side. _Unless..._

"Ryoma?"

He looked at her and smiled warmly, "Yes Sakura?"

"That night...in Cheve..."

Hinoka sucked in a breath and both Takumi and Azura stiffened, this was a taboo subject for the most part especially during the last year or so. The majority of the Hoshidan people had given up hope that Corrin was even _alive_ and whilst Ryoma and Mikoto regularly sent out search parties, spies and ninja to try and locate her due to firmly believing she was still alive to this day, the topic became more and more difficult to breach with either of them. Even Hinoka had difficulties talking about it in any depth now and just the briefest mention of Corrin would cause her eyes to cloud over with tears and for her to clutch at her heart like she was in physical pain.

"What of it?" Ryoma responded curtly, he sounded strained like he was fighting back a wave a grief and tears- the _Crown Prince_ of Hoshido, almost reduced to tears by such a small thing!

"Was I supposed to be taken instead of Corrin?"

He squinted and his expression became confused- Sakura could sense the collective shock of everyone there but she just carried on looking straight ahead- waiting for an answer to her questions. There's no way he couldn't of heard of the rumours when they were doing the rounds between the maids all those years ago.

"I thought you hadn't heard those. Sakura, they weren't true and were quickly put to rest. Corrin's kidnap was spur of the moment. She was in the wrong place at the wrong time but there was never any plans to kidnap you and you have my word about that.

"Have you truly been worrying about that all this time?!" He asked incredulous.

She sniffed and nodded.

"Oh, Sakura!"- Hinoka reached past Takumi to grab her youngest sister's hand. "You're such a silly little thing sometimes. We love you so much and to think of you causing yourself so much pain and anguish by believing such rumours...what are we going to do with you?"

"Hehe, I'm s-sorry I guess...it has just always weighed heavily on me that's all."

"Well...it doesn't have to anymore." Ryoma smiled encouragingly. "...And when Corrin does finally come home, we can truly find peace again. This festival is just a temporary solution but one day, we'll fix everything that that night in Cheve six years ago has ruined."

Sakura gazed up at the sky, her eyes wide and bright, "Yes, yes we will."

* * *

*Yeahy* Sakura's Chapter is up at long last! *Woop* I hope you liked this Chapter, I'll try to get the next one up soon as I'm *ahem* 'quickly' approaching a Chapter where I actually know what I want to write. (I know, it's a miracle.) Well...Until next time. xXx


	16. Six Years of Servitude

*Yeahy* I've actually got another Chapter up soon after the last one! Aren't you proud of me. ;)

This is the second to last Chapter before we move onto Nohr and it's mildly complicated so bear with me. This story takes place over six years but only the first, third, fourth and sixth years feature any actual story. Because of the differing years, the ages all change throughout but by the end, Ryoma is twenty-three, Hinoka is eighteen (going on nineteen), Azura is eighteen (just turned), Corrin is seventeen, Takumi is fourteen (going on fifteen later in the sixth year) and Sakura is thirteen (recently turned). That's about right but don't hold me to it, my maths really is abysmal at best.

This story also takes the focus away from the royals for the most part. I don't want to give too much away but I felt like a Chapter that focused on other characters beside the royals was important to write before moving on to Nohr. Not only do I believe that this Chapter brings a lot of character development to the main characters involved but I also feel that it adds more depth to the royals as a result despite them taking a back seat to let other characters be the stars of the show. I think that's because you get to see them when they aren't just focused on protecting Hoshido and when they're missing Corrin. You get to see them when they're interacting with people around them and- for a couple of them- you see a more light-hearted side to their personalities.

We only have one year left to write a Chapter for before moving onto Corrin's life in Nohr. It'll be bittersweet moving on from the Hoshidan royal family's side; bitter because this story was only ever intended to focus on them and so taking away their spotlight will be painful but also sweet because I'll be facing a new challenge: writing from the Nohrian royal family's side and we'll also see the Hoshidan royal family again in future so I should really think of it as giving my brain a chance to develop their characters more before they return to the story. =)

Anyway, I don't have to worry about that stuff until after the next Chapter so I'll leave you with this one. I hope you enjoy it. Also, thanks to all of you who have reviewed, followed and gave this story a favourite especially since the gap between the previous two Chapters was so darn long. I'm glad to know that there are so many people out there who are still interested in this Story and support it. I hope to keep bringing you quality Chapters for as long as this story continues and that you'll all keep giving me ideas, feedback and improvements to take this story even further and to make sure it keeps on developing.

 ***Spoilers Warning*** Definite spoilers about the Avatar's actual relation to the Hoshidan royal family (hopefully people will know what this means and if they don't then that probably means they shouldn't read on). Also, spoilers about certain game events, Supports and character backgrounds.

 **Disclaimer:** I own nothing to do with 'Fire Emblem [Fates]', its locations, characters etc. All rights go to their respective owners.

 **Rated T. *Features mild violence.***

* * *

 **Reasons to Fight: Six Years of Servitude**

Part One: The First Year:

He was soaring through the sky, the leader of the pack as it should be. The Pegasus he was on was gliding gracefully, trusting his rider completely to keep control and to guide them both safely to their destination.

At the moment, they were only training- making sure hey were ready for a day when they would have to fly over a battlefield. They were pretending to dodge arrows, swooping low in order to attack training dummies before taking to the skies in order to escape from a potential counterstrike and keeping an eye out for any unexpected threats that units on the ground may not have noticed.

He enjoyed this; the feeling of the wind through his hair, the opportunity to show off and- most importantly- being able to hone his skills as both a Sky Knight and as a retainer to the youngest princess in Hoshido's royal family.

He took pride in his abilities and strived to achieve perfection with everything he did. Some may call him vain or arrogant but he didn't care, his whole life had been based around trying to be at the top of his game no matter what. He was expected to keep Lady Sakura safe come what may and the pressure to do that had only become more prominent as the tensions with Nohr increased. So if people became jealous or annoyed with his attitude then he didn't care as long as he managed to stay ten steps ahead of the competition then he could cope with their words.

A smug smile spread across his face but suddenly, a loud yelp drew him away from his thoughts. He looked to his right just in time to see one of the Sky Knights suddenly swoop low; a slash of red cut through his vision and he was finally able to make out the figure of an injured Hinoka beginning an emergency descent.

He turned back to give the other Knights the order to land before following Hinoka's Pegasus and landing nearby. As he dismounted and began to walk over to where she was resting against a tree, he queried with her what had happened.

"I don't know exactly." Her raspy voice sounded strained as she spoke whilst beginning to inspect the gash. "Ugh, I don't believe it! I haven't suffered from an injury like this since my early days in the Sky Knights. The thirteen-year-old tilted her head back and closed her eyes. "I feel like such a rookie!" She moaned.

"Heh, Lady Hinoka everyone has their off days."

Hinoka smiled ruefully at him, "Except for you, right?"

Subaki grinned back and bowed gracefully. "Except for me, My Lady."

Just then another the other Sky Knights landed apart from one who offered to go and tell the trainees on the ground to meet with them here since they had the first aid kits and the healers.

A brief time later, a shrill female voice split through the previous quietness of the area. "Lady Hinoka? Subaki? We're here."

"Hello, Hana." Hinoka replied.

"S-sister! We're here."

"Sakura, no need to look so worried, it's just a scratch." Hinoka's cheeks began to redden with all of the attention she was receiving.

As Sakura began to tend to her sister's wounds, Hana began to sidle up next to Subaki. "Why weren't you keeping an eye on things, Subaki?" She whispered curtly.

"Lady Hinoka was flying behind me so-"

"You mean you weren't allowing her to lead the Sky Knight?!" Hana hissed at him, her eyes becoming fiery as her anger became more obvious.

"What's your problem, Hana?!"

"My problem is that we're Lady Sakura's retainers; we're supposed to keep up good reputations in order to put everyone's minds at ease when it comes to Sakura's safety, not showing off in front of people and neglecting our duties to the rest of the royal family as well!"

"Hey, stop it you two!"

"How dare you accuse me of failing to fulfil my duties, Hana!" Subaki fumed.

"Oh yeah? Well how about the time when you..."

Suddenly, both Subaki and Hana felt pressure against their shoulder and they realised that both Sakura and Hinoka were trying to hold them back from each other and when the two retainers looked around themselves, they realised everyone was watching them with shocked expressions.

"This behaviour isn't acceptable from retainers, okay?" Hinoka stated in a calm voice although there was a stern edge to it and a warning gleam in her eyes as she backed off. "We're finished for the day." She stated before climbing back on to her Pegasus despite her injury.

As everyone began to disband, it left just Hana, Subaki and Sakura in the clearing.

Sakura turned to look at them both. "Honestly you two, you have to stop bickering about this type of stuff!"

Both of them bowed in apology. "We're sorry Lady Sakura. We'll accept whatever punishment awaits us."

Sakura began to rub her left arm with her right and turned away from them. "I aren't going to punish you and please stand up, you know it makes me uncomfortable being treated so formally. You're more than just my retainers, your my friends and that's why I hate seeing you argue."

They both hung their heads in shame as they nodded.

"Please leave now." Sakura waved her hand dismissively and they both stalked off.

Yes...Subaki prided himself on perfection above all else but even he was prone to the occasional mistake although he'd never admit it. Being a retainer to the youngest Hoshidan royal was a lot harder than it seemed.

* * *

Part Two: The Third Year:

"Argh! Run! It's a monster!" The little girl screeched as she began to sprint away.

"No wait!" Cried the teenager as she reached out to try and grip the young girl's arm but it was too late; she'd already fled.

The teenager sighed as she ran her fingers through her blue hair. She hadn't meant to scare the girl away however, as she was strolling through the streets of Hoshido, she came across a recently opened hand made kimono shop similar to that that was once owned by her family. It had brought back memories of that tragic event which had consumed her life and- like every other time- her face had begun to contort in that twisted way it did which terrorised the poor girl who just so happened to be walking by at that moment in time.

"Hey, Oboro, subjecting more children to your horror show, I see?" A figure with wild brown hair and mischievous eyes joked.

Oboro made a disgusted noise in the back of her throat. "Oh do be quiet, Hinata!" She shot back.

Hinata- realising he'd crossed a line- smiled apologetically at his fellow retainer but remained silent.

Oboro folded her arms protectively around her chest before changing the subject, "Have you seen Lord Takumi around?"

Hinata indicated in a general direction behind him, "I just saw him finishing up his business with one of the store merchants. I think he's buying a new formal outfit for the festival next week."

Oboro's eyes widened in surprise when she looked in the direction that Hinata was pointing, apparently Lord Takumi was in the newly opened kimono shop and- as she looked closer- she saw Takumi's figure facing in the direction of the merchant, his head bobbing slightly as he listened intently to what the young woman had to say to him.

"Why isn't one of the royal tailors working on his ensemble?" She inquired.

Hinata just shrugged his shoulders, "I don't know exactly but...Lord Takumi wanted to support a newly opened business, I'm guessing."

Suddenly, without even realising it, she found herself strolling forwards. It was almost like she was in a trance but she couldn't stop herself.

She felt a hand clasp around her wrist. "Hey! Lord Takumi ordered you to stay here, Oboro!"

"I know, I just..." She murmured distractedly. "...Need to go in...to the store...for a moment." She looked behind herself at Hinata and smiled reassuringly, "I'll be right back."

Hinata muttered something under his breath but Oboro didn't give him the time of day, she just carried on walking forward until her hand clasped around the door handle. There was a slight bristle of wind chimes as she stepped inside. Her Lord was distracted so he didn't realise that she had entered the store and was now heading towards the lines of fabric covering the shelves.

She ran her fingers across the fine silks and cloths, marvelling at their beauty. She was so distracted by the amazing sights and textures all around her that she barely heard the voice behind her saying in surprise, "Oboro?! What are you doing in here?" Inquired the ten-year-old Prince.

Oboro jumped slightly and stumbled back, a crimson blush began to make its way over her cheeks. "L-Lord Takumi! I-I just...wanted to make sure you were okay is all." She stuttered.

The Prince remained his usual serious self for a moment longer before a rare glimpse of amusement traced over his features. "Oboro, you know you can't lie very well, why do you even bother trying? If you wanted to look around then why didn't you just ask?"

"I'm sorry, Sire, I thought you might assume I was neglecting my duties."

"Oh nonsense," Takumi waved his hand dismissively, "I know how dedicated you are to my safety and that of my family. I just-"

Just then, the merchant poked her head around a corner, "Lord Takumi? We're ready for your fitting."

"I'll be right over, thank you."

"We can continue this later for now, I must be going Oboro."

The woman nodded at her Lord before drifting over to the side of the store that was covered with kimonos that were already completed. One in particular really caught her attention, it was a light orange one with silver and black lacing and patterns.

Just then, she heard the chimes go off again, alerting her to the fact that someone else had entered the store. To her surprise, it was the little girl from earlier.

The child gasped when she saw Oboro again and Oboro tensed in response. "W-what have you done with my Mummy?"

"Your Mummy?"

The girl nodded, "She owns the shop."

"Ah, I haven't done anything to her, she's tending to a customer."- The girl looked at her with doubt in her eyes. "Listen, I-I'm sorry about earlier, I didn't mean to frighten you, I was just...thinking about my parents. They used to own a store just like this one."

"What happened to them?"

In taking a sharp breath, Oboro whispered, "They-they died a long time ago."

The girl's head shot up and her eyes became as wide as dinner plates. Oboro turned back to the kimono that had caught her attention.

"Do you like it?"

"Yes, very much so." Oboro smiled.

The girl beamed up at her, "I like it too."

There was a shuffle of a curtain as the girl's Mum and Lord Takumi returned. "It fits you really well, Milord! You're sure to impress."

Takumi was a bit flustered with the praise, "Thank you."

"L-Lord Takumi, Hinata has been waiting for us a while, we should be returning to Castle Shirasagi."

"You're right, Oboro."

The little girl bounced over to her Mother but stopped and whispered something in Lord Takumi's ear that caused his eyes to widen before looking over Oboro's shoulder. He nodded to the little girl who smiled in return.

"Oboro, go and wait outside with Hinata, I'll just be a moment."

Bowing to him, she left the store and found Hinata leaning against a wall with his eyes closed.

"You're finally back! Where's Lorad Takumi?"

Oboro heard the chimes for the third time that day and looked behind her to see Takumi leaving the store with two packages in his hands.

"I thought you only had a need for one kimono, Lord Takumi?" Oboro questioned as Hinata moved away from the wall to join the little huddle.

"I do only need one, this...this is for you." The ten-year-old blushed slightly.

Her eyes widened at that, "For...me...?"

He handed her the package on top and she hesitantly opened it up and gasped at its contents. Inside, the orange kimono lay there, glowing like the sun. "Lord Takumi I...I can't accept this but I appreciate the gesture."

"Nonsense, it's yours. I hope you like it."

"I do, I do very much. Thank you."

Takumi smiled at her before waving his hand in the direction of the Castle. As they began to walk back in silence, Hinata bounded up to Takumi, "Hey!"- He exclaimed- "Where's my present?!"

Takumi shook his head as his eyebrows pulled together in confusion, "Your present?"

"Yeah, Oboro got a kimono...where's mine?"

"Oh...sorry...I didn't know you wanted a kimono, Hinata."

Realising his point wasn't getting across to his Prince, Hinata stepped up his efforts, "No...n-n-no, I- I don't want a kimono, but a sword or a cool jacket or something that really suits me, you know?"

"A kimono won't suit you?"

Oboro smiled to herself, by this point, she wasn't sure if her Lord was just teasing or actually didn't get what Hinata was asking but at that moment she couldn't care less, her heart was warmed by Takumi's gesture this day. No matter how difficult people presumed Takumi to be, she would always stand by him because she knew there was more to him than met the eye.

* * *

Part Three: The Fourth Year:

"My, my, Setsuna! Fallen down another hole I see." The lilting voice was as amused as always. As it spoke to her from high up.

"You should be used to it by now." The slow voice responded with not a single trace of emotion, it was just a simple statement of fact. She was always falling down holes or getting herself caught in traps, it was just one of her quirks.

The man who was nearly in his twenties, making him nearly three years older than the sixteen-year-old Princess he currently served was seemingly rather immature for his age; always teasing and taunting and smiling regardless of how serious the situation was. He pointed his staff down into the hole and Setsuna reached up to grab it. As soon as she was close enough, Azama pulled her up the rest of the way.

As soon as she was out of the hole, she smoothed her hands over her dress before thanking the Monk for rescuing her from a scrape for the one hundred and twentieth time that year so far- and she'd been counting!

Suddenly, the sound of a Pegasus flying overhead attracted their attention as it began a descent down to their location. "Well done, Azama! You found Setsuna, I've been looking all over for you, girl!" Exclaimed the fiery redhead as she dismounted from her Pegasus and wrapped her arms around her ditzy retainer.

"Sorry to have worried you, Lady Hinoka." Setsuna's eyes drifted, taking in the forest view around her.

Azama hummed slightly, "Lady Hinoka, we really must return to the Castle, I do believe it's nearly time for dinner."

"Ah...yes...I do believe that I'm cooking tonight." Setsuna said like she'd just remembered herself.

Azama did a double take. **"W-what?!"**

"Haven't you heard, Azama?" Hinoka inquired, "Ryoma wants all of the retainers to practise cooking in case we find ourselves in the middle of a war at all, we won't have royal chefs at our disposal then."

"Yes, I did hear but...Lady Hinoka- not to be rude but, Setsuna's cooking gives _yours_ a run for its money and I clearly don't mean that in a good way." The panic evident on Azama's face was a sight to behold...

...But not quite as much as the embarrassed blush that was now spreading across Hinoka's own face. "H-hey! You know I'm sensitive about my cooking and besides, I'm sure that myself and Setsuna could create a great dish given half a chance." She stated defiantly.

"Yes but...unfortunately, I don't see any pigs flying overhead today and- as far as I'm aware- there aren't any forecast within the next oh I don't know- billion years or so?"

"Watch it you!" Hinoka's hands balled into fists as she narrowed her eyes at her retainer.

"Ah my apologies, My Lady."

"Do you want to help me cook, Lady Hinoka?" Setsuna asked her.

Dread shot through to Azama's very core.

Linking her arm with Setsuna's, Hinoka looked at Azama with new-found determination, "You know what? I think I will."

Azama watched as the two women walked over to Hinoka's Pegasus and prepared for the journey home. He was unsure of how to respond to the terrible pact that had just been formed.

"I think I'll just skip lunch today." He murmured to himself whilst all the while feeling nauseous.

 _Some time later..._

"Err...Lady Hinoka, is this _supposed_ to be green?" Setsuna pointed at the contents within the pot of stew they'd been brewing.

"Huh?" Hinoka finished drying her hands with a towel as she started towards the pot, when she looked inside, her lips puckered in deep concentration, "Err...I think so? ...Maybe?"

Setsuna looked doubtful.

"Okay, I give in, maybe not but I'm sure it'll at least _taste_ fine."

"But what if it doesn't? I really don't want to be responsible for giving half the army and Lord Ryoma food poisoning."

"Pssh! I won't give my brother food poisoning...at least not intentionally." Hinoka admitted albeit a little reluctantly.

About half an hour later, the two began to plate up their lunch offerings which were bubbling and making strange sounds. The stew was still green, somehow their sauce had become purple and their rice had turned a strange shade of grey. They looked between each other, horrified by what they'd created.

"M-maybe we should t-taste it first before serving it?" Hinoka stuttered.

"Maybe..." Setsuna agreed even though she'd rather eat _anything_ other than whatever _this_ was.

Hinoka grabbed a large wooden spoon and scooped up some of the strange concoction, she licked her lips which had suddenly become dry and with a shaking hand lifted it to her lips.

The spoon was just inches away from her mouth when she practically threw the spoon back down onto the counter, "You know what? We've done a lot of work today, I think we should make Azama our official taste tester; he can finally make himself useful."

Setsuna's eyes widened like that was the best idea she'd ever heard, "Hey! You're right."

The two girls set up a tray filled to the brim with their odd foods complemented with an ordinary glass of water to cleanse the palate afterwards.

"Oh Azama!?" Lady Hinoka called out to receive no answer in return.

So she tried again...

...and again...

...and a final time...

...before finally realising he must be in hiding.

So the two set about looking for him only to find him outside hiding behind a rather large tree pretending to be asleep. The two women looked at each other, unimpressed before they both looped an arm through Azama's and dragged him- kicking and screaming and begging for mercy the entire way to the dining hall.

Five minutes later, Azama was sat at the dining table with a spoon in his quivering hand. He looked to his left and saw Hinoka staring at him with hope whilst Setsuna was to his right staring at him with curiosity.

He moved the spoon closer and closer to his trembling lips and placed the mixture in his mouth.

His reaction was instantaneous.

One minute, he'd been sitting in the chair, the next he was on his hands and knees on the floor choking, spluttering and begging for mercy. He'd never forget the taste for as long as he lived, it was like he was eating death itself.

Grabbing his throat he muttered, "So this is what torture is like?"

From that day on, the rumours of Setsuna's and Hinoka's traumatising cooking became the stuff of legends throughout Hoshido and the world.

* * *

Part Four: The Sixth Year:

"I can't believe she still hasn't returned to us." Sighed the twenty-three-year-old Prince to his two retainers Kagero and Saizo.

Today marked twelve years exactly since Corrin had been kidnapped and Sumeragi had been assassinated by the King of Nohr's own hands. Like always, Castle Shirasagi was a gloomy place to be on this day.

Saizo watched his Lord as he rubbed his tired eyes, it was clear the Prince has lost a night's sleep to grief rather than just losing one to hark work simply because he was allowing his exhaustion to show.

"Lord Ryoma, to this day we are still searching for her whereabouts and we won't rest until we either find her or until the search is called off." Kagero stated in a serious tone.

"Heh, I will never call off the search and I know that no one else will either so...it looks like we'll never stop searching, huh?"

Kagero nodded in agreement. If Saizo had had the guts, he would've made a disgusted noise at this line of discussion. Like Corrin's return to Hoshido would ever be a good thing! Even if she was still alive, she'd been in Nohr for a dozen years meaning regardless of her ties to Hoshido, she couldn't be trusted. But of course...saying something like that would only anger his Lord.

His opinion on the matter had angered his Lord once before when he'd finally voiced it aloud. He hadn't been hostile about it but on this day last year, he'd felt obligated to bring up the possibility that even if Corrin returned safely to Hoshido- she might only return to them as a traitor and for the first time during their years with a relationship as Lord and retainer, Ryoma had snapped at him. Of course, he should've expected it; he knew better than anyone just how much Lord Ryoma had doted on Corrin during the five years before she was kidnapped. But he hadn't expected it simply because he'd thought that there was no way that his Lord _hadn't_ considered it.

It turned out he was wrong and not only had he faced Lord Ryoma's wrath but that of Kaze and Kagero as well later that day.

Since then, he'd decided it was best to keep his thoughts on the matter to himself and to stick to being faithful to his master come what may. It was a duty, honour and privilege to serve under Ryoma and he wouldn't take it for granted ever again.

"Do you want to rest for today, Milord?" Kagero inquired, drawing Saizo's attention back to the discussion at hand. "We know how hard it is for you."

"Thank you for your concern, Kagero however, I am not at liberty to take a 'personal day' unless I'm practically dead on the floor...maybe not even then."

"With all due respect Milord, please don't talk like that." Saizo pleaded.

Ryoma smiled reassuringly at Saizo, "Heh, sorry to worry you, Saizo." He rose from his desk and proceeded to gather up a few things, "Well, I'm needed in a meeting. I shall see you both soon."

"Yes, Milord." Kagero and Saizo said in unison as Ryoma left the room.

The two of them relaxed a little and Kagero turned o face Saizo, "What, no controversial opinions this year?" She remarked.

Saizo grunted at her in response.

A slight smile touched her lips, "Don't worry, as Lord Ryoma's retainer I have also considered all possibilities around Corrin but...is it really so bad to hope for the best outcome? Is it wrong for Ryoma to wish to have his family happily reunited one day?"

"We're retainers to the proud Hoshidan royal family; we don't have the luxury of allowing emotions such as hope to cloud our vision of possible truths." Saizo was so frustrated with the situation- why was everyone so reluctant to see his side of the story?

"Yes well, when it comes to you, you won't let emotion could anything will you?" She retorted curtly.

He turned his back to her. "It was a mutual decision, Kagero."

Even though he wasn't facing her she still felt the need to turn away from him as well. "Maybe so but you could at least act like you care." She whispered.

Saizo stiffened at that before swiftly exiting the room without saying a word.

Soon after, Kagero also left the room in search of Kaze. She wanted to see how he was faring this day, for some reason he was almost as badly affected by Corrin's disappearance than her family were despite not really having any prior contact with her.

She found him training with some of the other Ninja, he seemed to be really dedicated to it; even more so than usual.

"Kaze!" She called out to him.

He turned to face her and smiled warmly. The contrast between Saizo and Kaze was astounding and despite how long she'd known then for, she still had to sometimes remind herself that they were twin brothers.

After finishing his current bout, he strolled over to meet her. "Kagero, how can I help you?" Despite his seemingly good mood, the sadness in his eyes made it clear that he was suffering.

"I wanted to see how you're doing, I know that this day troubles you."

He turned his gaze away from her then and folded his arms across his chest. "That it does, Kagero but it's nothing I can't handle. You should just concern yourself with Lord Ryoma's well-being."

"He's in a meeting and being with Saizo is too...stifling at the moment."

Kaze nodded, well aware of his brother's stance on the matter.

"Kaze, do you ever think Saizo will warm up to people eventually?" She mirrored his position, wrapping her arms tightly around herself. It wasn't often that she allowed herself to be seen as vulnerable.

Kaze's mouth turned up slightly in mild amusement "Maybe...but would he really be Saizo then?"

"Heh, maybe not."

After a for moments of comfortable silence Kaze spoke up again, "We're Ninja, Kagero, our duties to the Hoshidan royal family have been around for generations, our loyalty is unwavering and binding however, that does not mean we're all the same nor does it mean we handle things the same. We're all born into this role and some are more cut out for it than others. We often bear witness to...traumatising events but we also get to see many beautiful moments during our years of service. Myself, you and of course Saizo are all rather different despite sharing a similar role; it'd be cruel to try to change him against his well in the same way it'd be cruel for him to try and change us."

Kagero contemplated his words for a moment before responding, "You're right Kaze, of course you are."

At that moment, Kagero realised that everyone had their role to play; they needed a cynic, someone with a cool head and someone with compassion, it was the only way to truly make the right decisions whenever they needed to be made. Everyone was different especially the mix of retainers. Some were perfectionists, others were dedicated, a few were more relaxed and the rare few wouldn't let anything come between their duties to the person they'd sworn to protect.

Retainers were an eclectic bunch, but there was no doubt in her mind that the Hoshidan royals wouldn't have it any other way.

* * *

So...did you like it? I hope you did. I attempted to make this Chapter more light-hearted than usual whilst also keeping a certain amount of emotion to it. Hopefully it worked and you're all ready for the final Hoshido-based Chapter for a while because that's coming up next. Until next time. xXx


	17. Hope for a Reunion (Arc One 'RtF' End)

So...are you ready for the last Chapter that takes place in Hoshido for a while? I know I am because I'm honestly ready for the next set of challenges that this story is going to bring in future which is why this Chapter took so long to write up because I already had a plan for the Chapter after this one and my brain could not come up with the necessary structure for this Chapter so you'll have to forgive me if it's one of my weaker works in this story, I really tried my best with it and I have honestly been working on it for weeks.

It doesn't help that I've fallen madly in love with Xander over the last few days. Now don't get me wrong, I've always loved him and he was the first one I married in 'Conquest' and he is in my top three favourite 'Fates' characters along with Ryoma and Shigure but despite that, I always preferred Ryoma and Shigure over him and now I officially love him with all my heart and soul and now I really want to write 'Conquest' based Chapters and work on that CorrinxXander bond and argh! I can't wait. ...Maybe I should do a Corrin/Ryoma/Xander love triangle in future...*ahem* But that's for another day somewhere in the very distant future.

Thank you to everyone who has left me a review or given this story a favourite/follow. I hope that the next Chapter is a lot stronger than this one and I hope that the next Arc of the story is just as strong as this one if not better. I'm always open to suggestions, advice and whatnot so if you have any then let me know. To the guest reviewer **'Shura ismywaifu'** You were right about it being Yukimura who came up with that plan but before writing that Chapter, I'd read somewhere that it was Ryoma's idea and at that time I had no evidence to the contrary so thank you for bringing that to my attention. Unfortunately, I can no longer correct it and so the mistake will have to remain in this story but still...I appreciate you correcting me. =)

Anyway, I won't keep you any longer. Luckily I practically have the next Chapter all planned out so hopefully it'll be up soon however after the disappointment that this Chapter no doubt will be to some, I'll most probably take my time with it to get it just right; I want the introduction to Nohr and to 'Arc Two' of this story to be just right after all. =D

Thank you to everyone who has read up until this point, I hope I can count on your support in future.

P.S. I had the last section of this story all written out, I was practically one line away from finishing the Chapter and then I accidently refreshed the page and lost it all *cries* so I had to rewrite it from memory. xD

 ***Spoilers Warning*** Definite spoilers about the Avatar's actual relation to the Hoshidan royal family (hopefully people will know what this means and if they don't then that probably means they shouldn't read on). Also, spoilers about certain game events.

 **Disclaimer:** I own nothing to do with 'Fire Emblem [Fates]', its locations, characters etc. All rights go to their respective owners.

 **Rated T.**

* * *

 **Reasons to Fight: Hope for a Reunion**

On the day that his world was turned upside-down yet again, his morning began like the majority with him meditating just as the sun was beginning to rise. The only sounds he could hear were his soft breathing and the tweeting of birds as they began their morning songs.

Of course, at that point in time, he had no idea that his world was going to change so dramatically around him for the third time, it was just another ordinary day as far as he was concerned. Another day in which he would have to attend multiple meetings, assist Mikoto and train; nothing out of the usual for him except for his increasing concern for the small group of troops that he'd dispatched a few days previously to sneak within Nohr's borders in yet another attempt to save his sister from their evil clutches.

He was expecting them to return within a fortnight at the latest simply because Corrin had been missing for thirteen years and they'd never been able to get anywhere when it came to rescuing her despite their insistence so when they didn't return and there had been no news of their situation it was clear something was amiss. This bothered him quite a bit for various reasons including- but not limited to- the fact that one of the troops (Kaze) was his retainer Saizo's brother and so he was worried about he was coping with the lack of news, the fact that if anything did happen to them then their was no telling what this would mean for Hoshido's 'relationship' with Nohr and also what this would mean for their future operations since they'd already sent some of their best spies and troops as a part of that group so if anything happened to them then their options would become severely limited.

Ryoma couldn't stand the thought of that; he hadn't seen his sister since she was five-years-old, she'd be eighteen by now! A woman who no doubt had suffered through many traumas whilst growing up in Nohr but- if she was still alive- would no doubt be beautiful and strong just like she was when Ryoma knew her as a child. He couldn't help but wonder about who was in charge of her well-being? Who did he have to blame for their struggles when it came to tracing her whereabouts? Was that person also in charge of hurting her or- if they were keeping her alive and well as a potential bargaining chip- did they know how to care for her properly? Because he doubted that very much, only her real family could know how to look after her; only they know what she likes and dislikes, what her fears and worries are and about her aspirations and dreams.

 _...But that's working on the assumption that she's the same as she used to be._ Yes, that was very true. There was always a chance that Corrin was nothing like how she used to be and if that was indeed the case then...who _was_ she now? Had she become as bitter and as corrupt as the Nohrians or was she the exception to the rule? He really hoped it was the latter because he couldn't stand it if they'd turned her into someone twisted and hostile like their vile king who took her there to begin with.

Even after all these years he still hadn't forgiven that monster for the events that took place that day. He could still recall with perfect clarity the moment his father took his dying breaths and the menacing look on King Garon's face as he reached out to grab his sister by her hair and- even though it pained him deeply to remember- he remembered his own failures that night; failures that if prevented may have changed the course of history. Granted he was only eleven-years-old at the time which made witnessing the traumatic events even more damning for him but still...maybe life for the Hoshidan royal family wouldn't be so agonising if only he'd acted on instinct that night rather than letting his emotions overrun his judgment.

He shook his head and squinted his eyes tightly, trying to return to his meditation instead of focusing on this line of thinking however, his concentration was completely broken and to top it all off, this meant that yet again he'd let his emotions get in the way of his duty which only served to irritate him further also, he was always in a foul mood if his morning meditation was interrupted in any way, shape or form so...yeah...today was going to be a great day for him!

Standing up from his previous perch, Ryoma made a grab for his clothes before getting changed out of his jinbei. As he placed his helmet on he felt the heavy burdens press down on him again as they did every time he wore it. Sighing deeply he reached out to grab the Raijinto at the exact moment there was a knock on his door.

"Coming in ready or not!" He heard Hinoka tease as the door opened revealing her standing there with a mischievous smile upon her face.

Ryoma frowned at his sister. "Hinoka, you should be more respectful of people's privacy."

She just rolled her eyes at her elder brother, _he's always so serious!_ She thought to herself however, she could understand _why_ he was. As the high prince of Hoshido, he had many responsibilities that required a lot of his attention and time. But sometimes...she just wished that he would loosen up a bit from time to time; it was painful having to watch him carry so many burdens upon his shoulders and with the recent distress caused by their missing troops he'd become more stressed out than usual and Hinoka couldn't help but feel sorry for him.

If their father was still alive then maybe Ryoma wouldn't have the weight of the world upon his shoulders but as things stood even though their mother- Mikoto- was technically Hoshido's queen, Ryoma was still overwhelmed with duties and hardships and it upset her to see her once relaxed, relatively carefree brother have to act like a man twice his age.

She folded her arms across her chest and leaned against the doorframe as she spoke up. "I'm sorry, Brother, but I was wondering if you wanted some company this morning; I figured we could eat breakfast and then train together if you're up for it?"

Ryoma nodded as he walked towards her, "That sound like a plan, Sister, however I won't go easy on you during training."

Hinoka laughed loudly which ended up drawing the attention of a few of the servants in the hallway. "I wouldn't have it any other way, Brother, you know that."

"Heh, I'll have to go out of my way to change your mind about that."

 **...**

 **... ...**

 **... ... ...**

"Hah!" Hinoka cried as she brought her spear down.

"Hragh!" Ryoma swished his sword up to counter her strike. They struggled against each other for a moment, sweat pouring from their bodies due to their extensive training session.

eventually they both pulled back, panting as they prepared their next moves. "You've learned a lot over the years, Sister however, I will not fail even during a mere sparring match." Ryoma announced defiantly.

"Ha! That's so like you Ryoma, you're as stubborn as a mule but I aren't going to let you win that easily!" Hinoka cried as she was just about to launch an attack at her brother but just at that moment, Yukimura burst into the room also gasping for breath like he'd been training as well however, it was clear from the raw panic in his eyes that his exhaustion had been caused by his hunt for the two eldest royal siblings.

Ryoma straightened as Hinoka tried to contain her disappointment. "Yukimura, what's wrong?"

The old man met the young lord's concerned gaze, a hand clutched to his heart. "Lord Ryoma, we've had word from our scouts, they've found b-bodies...bodies of the troops we had sent out to Nohr."

Hinoka gasped as her grasp on her training weapon weakened causing the weapon to clatter to the floor as a result. She staggered backwards as she met Ryoma's gaze. "K-Kaze was in that group as were some of our best men and women."

Ryoma stroked his chin as he narrowed his eyes; the Hoshidan troops were under strict orders not supposed to enter into a skirmish with Nohrian forces unless they were provoked in one way or another so unless they disregarded his command then the only other option was that the Nohrian fiends gave them some reason to risk their lives.

"That's another point-" Yukimura continued.- "We didn't find bodies accounting for all of our troops; some of them including Kaze and Rinkah of the Flame Tribe have either escaped or been taken prisoner since there would be no sense in moving them if they were already dead especially if they were going to leave the rest of the 'evidence' lying so casually about."

Hinoka walked up to her brother and placed her hand on his arm. "So...there's still hope?"

Yukimura only nodded in response.

Heaving a sigh of relief, the two siblings stood in silence for a moment before Yukimura spoke up again. "Queen Mikoto has called an urgent meeting which she wasn't both of you to attend in ten minutes."

Ryoma turned to face his sister due to sensing her distress and he patted her arm reassuringly before turning to address his mother's retainer. "We'll be there."

* * *

Sure enough ten minutes later Hinoka and Ryoma joined Sakura, Takumi, Azura, Mikoto and all of their retainers in the throne room. Mikoto was sat in her throne supporting her forehead on a hand. She looked so distraught and tired; she detested violence of any kind and whenever troops got hurt in the field of battle (especially when they were doing something in order to aid the royal family with the search for Corrin), she felt immensely guilty even though this kind of thing couldn't be helped from time to time.

"How did this happen?!" Takumi cried out, banging his fist against a wall in frustration. "How did those- those Nohrian scum kill some of our best troops and take others prisoner?!"

"We- we don't know _if_ they've taken anyone prisoner." Sakura pointed out as she tried to reach out to grasp Takumi's arm but he just pulled away in irritation causing Sakura to flinch and Ryoma to shoot him a disapproving glare.

"Well I wouldn't put it past them after all they took Corrin from us." Hinoka made a disgusted noise in the back of her throat. "It turns out that some people never change."

"Maybe we should give them a taste of their own medicine." The voice behind that line surprised them all; it came from Saizo himself. The ninja looed more sour and bitter than usual; his anger and frustration evident on his face. "Allow them to feel even a fraction of the pain and misery they've caused our people over the years." He spat as he folded his arms across his chest.

Azura who was sat in a chair nearby coughed slightly, drawing attention to her which was odd since she tended to keep herself to herself even during meetings like this one. "May I remind you that you _did_ give them a taste of their own medicine by kidnapping me." She sounded incredibly irritated.

Saizo stiffened at that, shooting her a menacing glare. "Maybe so but they weren't really bothered, were they?"

Azura shrugged, "Maybe they weren't but don't forget your own past sins just so you can justify committing them again." She retorted.

"What did you say? We committed no sin that day; an eye for an eye and all that." Ryoma couldn't recall ever seeing either Saizo or Azura behave in such a manor and the whole room seemed to share that sentiment.

"Please, that's enough!" Mikoto pleaded as she looked up with tears in her eyes.

The two fell silent at her sudden outburst.

She rose from her throne and turned her back to them. "May I remind you that people have lost their lives on this mission; it's our job now to save our remaining troops if that's at all possible- that should be our focus now: not revenge nor retaliation."

It seemed like everyone had frozen at her sudden outburst, it wasn't often that Mikoto got so emotional when dealing with official business. No one had any idea what to say or do until finally Saizo stormed out of the room without saying a word.

Ryoma was speechless, he wasn't used to his retainers acting so...irresponsibly around him. He felt a surge of anger course through him until Mikoto walked up beside him and placed a hand upon his shoulder. "Please don't take this out on him, Ryoma, his brother is one of those at risk and whilst he accepts that these sorts of dangers come part and parcel with the job, it'll still cause him anger and upset; he's not in the right frame of mind as of right now."

Ryoma frowned in the direction of the door that Saizo had exited the room from before turning to face his mother. "You're right but regardless, I'll still go and have a word with him, help him calm down."

With that he went after his retainer since childhood and the man he also classed as a dear friend. He found the ninja in one of the training halls taking out his anger by throwing his shuriken at some poor training dummy.

The high prince sighed. "Saizo!" He called in an attempt to get his attention.

The man turned to face his lord and bowed deeply in his direction which caused Ryoma to lift up both of his hands in an attempt to show Saizo that right now he didn't have to be so formal with him given the circumstances.

"Lord Ryoma I'm sorry for my behaviour back there I know that I was incredibly out of line and I completely understand and accept whatever punishment you see fit to give me."

Ryoma was slightly taken aback by Saizo's words. "Saizo...I have no intention of punishing you! I know what it's like to worry for a sibling whose future is uncertain, remember?"

Saizo's hands balled into fists as he turned away from Ryoma, "Maybe so but...we're ninja who have served your family for generations, we're used to losing our own-"

"...And yet you still struggle with the death of your father, why would the potential threat on your brother's life be any different?" Ryoma bluntly stated recalling his trusted friend's bitter desire to take his revenge which had almost ended in disaster and whilst Ryoma understood his motives due to his own rash decision to follow King Garon the night he'd taken Corrin to Nohr and killed his father in an attempt to sate his bloodlust, the thought of his retainer losing his life in such a way was enough to horrify the young boy and he'd seen a lot of horrors in his lifetime!

A shocked gasp escaped from the ninja's lips and embarrassingly enough, he began to tremble at the mention of his 'father', he could still recall- with perfect clarity- his lord's agony after Saizo had returned with his injuries after trying to exact revenge upon the man who had claimed his father's life. Indeed...he had much in common with his lord; the loss of his father and now the uncertainty around his sibling's safety, it was no wonder that he could read Saizo like an open book.

"Milord I...Kaze is all I have family-wise and Nohrians aren't known for showing mercy nor forgiveness which means the chances of my brother returning to Hoshido alive and well are slim at best especially since he was taken prisoner on Nohrian territory which means...I'm likely to never see him alive again." Saizo chocked on those words, he wasn't known for allowing himself moments of vulnerability especially around the lord he was sworn to protect however he couldn't help it, Lord Ryoma was the person who was most likely to understand his plight it was only natural for him to share his fears with him...wasn't it?

Ryoma raised his eyebrow at his retainer's weakness but didn't question it. "Maybe he along with the rest of the troops will get lucky and finally come across a Nohrian who knows compassion and will spare his life?"

Saizo sneered at that, clearly not believing such a thing was possible. "Whilst I appreciate the gesture, Milord, I highly doubt that any Nohrian knows clemency,"- Which was part of the reason he couldn't bring himself to trust Azura nor to trust Corrin should she ever return to her 'homeland'.- "However, if Kaze is lucky enough to find himself facing one then we will know soon enough."

Ryoma nodded at that reading of the situation even though he highly doubted that such a drastic turn of events could ever occur even if he wanted to believe it with every fibre of his being.

* * *

 _A few days later._

Ryoma was gazing out of the window just as the sun was beginning to set over Hoshido. He'd been staring out the window for the last few hours just waiting for news to come through about the two new residents in their infirmary.

During the night before, Ryoma had been awoken by a servant who claimed that Kaze and Rinkah had returned to the castle injured but alive. The news has caused the prince to quickly make himself presentable before storming over to the infirmary requesting to be allowed inside in order to question them about what occurred in Nohr however, the nurses and aids quickly forbade him (and anyone for that matter) from entering due to the fact that both of the survivors were exhausted and needed to rest. This had caused the high prince to sit outside of the infirmary for rest of the evening and nearly all of the entire next day so he could be the first to be allowed inside to visit them. ...So imagine his annoyance when the nurses said that the only visitors allowed inside after he'd done all that waiting were Mikoto and Saizo.

He'd been so enraged that he'd ended up storming off to one of the training halls in order to release his pent-up anger before deciding to bathe in order to get in a rational frame of mind again. On his way back to his room to deal with some of his duties that he'd neglected during the day whilst he was waiting to visit Kaze and Rinkah, he'd been enraptured by the view and that explained why he was still stood there just gazing out over his homeland whilst he thought about all that had transpired over the last few days. He could hardly believe that two of their troops had returned to Hoshido alive despite what he'd said to Saizo in order to reassure him of Kaze's safety. Apparently, a Nohrian _was_ capable of showing mercy somewhere within it borders.

At that moment, he decided to go and check upon the two new residents of their infirmary but just then Saizo approached him looking serious.

"Saizo, anything to report?" Ryoma tried to stop his voice from shaking.

His retainer nodded "Yes, apparently when they were captured by Nohrian troops, they were taken to castle Krakenburg in order to face King Garon and the Nohrian royals in the flesh."

Ryoma's head snapped up at that, his grip on the Raijinto tightening. "What?! They were taken to face King Garon himself and yet they escaped with their lives?!"

"But that's not all...whilst they did come face to face with him, he actually ordered one of his children- a Nohrian princess to be exact- to be their executioner. They fought against each other valiantly however, all of the remaining troops besides my brother and Rinkah were killed and after that, the King ordered her to finish them off as well but she refused and even put her own life at risk however, her siblings stepped in to help and managed to help them to escape from the castle with their lives."

Ryoma could hardly believe what he was hearing, _The Nohrian royals helped Hoshidan prisoners escape?!_ "Thank you Saizo, is that all or is there anything else to report?"

Saizo hesitated for a moment before speaking up again. "There is...one other thing; before the Nohrian princess began to fight them Rinkah inquired wit her for her name and the name she gave...was Corrin."

 _ **"What?!"**_ Ryoma felt as if the ground had been pulled out from under his feet, he staggered backwards, gripping a nearby table for support. "Corrin is...Corrin's alive?"

"If the report is to be believed and if she is indeed your sister then yes."

"Corrin-" Ryoma whispered as his hand balled into a fist, he turned to look out of the window again. "Corrin is alive."

He could hardly believe it, after all this time they finally had some form of evidence that their hope that she was okay was justified and now all they had to do was to bring her back home to Hoshido again; the place where she truly belonged.

 **Arc One: Reasons to Fight- End.**

* * *

Well...next up it's the beginning of Arc Two, I hope you're all as excited for it as I am. =D Until next time. xXx


	18. Reasons to Live: The Second Meeting

Oh yeah! It's time for the next Chapter and the first Nohrian one. *Sing-song voice ahoy!*

*Ahem* Okay, I'll be normal, I am very proud of this Chapter and it stays very true to my personal interpretation of Corrin's first night in Nohr. Now obviously that means that people may have different ideas for what occurs and that's okay but this is mine and- as far as I know- there's no official confirmation of how and what happens which is why I had to come up with my own. If it turns out there is one then I'd love to hear about it even if I'll probably stick with my own because I like this Chapter too much to change it. xD

I want to explain a couple of things, I personally don't think that Garon messes with Corrin's memory in any way (or at least in any way magical), I believe that due to a head injury received during the events in Cheve, the fact that she's still rather young and due to how people's recollection of events alter over time, she just honestly forgets about Hoshido and her Hoshidan family over time. Another explanation- which I go into in more depth during this Chapter- is that the version of the events in Cheve that Garon tells Xander about are different from what actually happened there (what, did you honestly think he was going to call for peace meetings in Cheve with Sumeragi and then upon his return to Nohr openly admit that he killed the Hoshidan king for no good reason before kidnapping one of his daughters? I don't think so somehow.) So because of the version of events Xander receives, he honestly believes that Corrin being raised in Nohr despite him being well aware she has family in Hoshido is for the best and so he sees no reason to tell her the truth. Even though I prefer the Hoshidan siblings overall, I still hold a lot of love for the Nohrian siblings (like I made clear in the last Chapter with my love for Xander and I also really love Leo) and so hopefully people will like my interpretations of their characters because I honestly love them so much! =D

This Chapter has references to a few of the previous Chapters, most notably **'An Unusual Comfort Blanket'** , **'A Brief First Meeting',** **Our Farewell (Part One)'** and **'Our Farewell (Part Two)'.** so if you haven't read those for whatever reason or you want to refresh your memory then they're the Chapters you need to focus on.

I received a fair amount of reviews for my last Chapter so...thank you, I honestly wasn't expecting it due to how weak I found that Chapter personally so I'm glad that a few of you lovely readers still decided to review the Chapter and I can't wait to hear what you think of the next Arc which- without further ado- we're going to get into right now.

P.S. The first part of the Chapter may confuse you at first but just bear with it. xD

 ***Spoilers Warning*** Definite spoilers about the Avatar's actual relation to both the Hoshidan and Nohrian royal families (hopefully people will know what this means and if they don't then that probably means they shouldn't read on). Also, spoilers about certain game events.

 **Disclaimer:** I own nothing to do with 'Fire Emblem [Fates]', its locations, characters etc. All rights go to their respective owners.

 **Rated T.**

* * *

 **Reasons to Live: The Second Meeting**

The day had seemingly passed by in a blur of motion and sound for the white-haired princess. That morning she'd begun her errand for her father just a 'simple scouting mission' he'd called it. She wouldn't have to engage the enemy, she wouldn't have to be the one to add to the tensions between Nohr and their mysterious enemy territory called 'Hoshido'.

She'd told her siblings that she could handle whatever was thrown at her especially since Gunter and Jakob were tagging along and they also had a man called Hans coming with them as well and even though she was cautious of him because of her eldest brother's warning; it was still reassuring to have an extra pair of hands should things turn sour.

Little did she know at the time that it'd be his 'assistance' that'd contribute to her current situation. She was currently fighting for her life alongside her other two companions against the Hoshidan forces that they weren't even supposed to engage in combat. Despite her brother's teachings not to let her emotions drive her on the battlefield, she couldn't help but feel nervous about their predicament due to their being severely outnumbered and underequipped to deal with such a situation. But somehow- little by little- they were getting through the enemy forces and eventually they were facing their leader who looked at them with disbelief in his eyes, he clearly had no idea how they'd managed to make it to him however, he still gave the battle his all but eventually he crumpled to his knees clearly unable to continue.

Corrin's hands were shaking as she looked down at him, rain was dripping from her hair and she was covered in blood- both her own and that of those she'd been fighting- "I'm so sorry, truly I am." Her voice was quivering as she addressed him before delivering the final blow.

Panting, she felt a strong grip on her shoulder and turned to face that man behind him. "Milady, you did well this day but we should be returning to Nohr as promptly as possible so we can report to King Garon about the situation."

Just then from the shadows nearby, three figures approached them, one of which was a man with flaming red hair and a mask covering half of what would otherwise be an extremely handsome face. "You're the leader of these troops? Pah." He spat, looking at her with a murderous glint to his eyes. "You're a little girl."

Corrin frowned, her eyes narrowing at the insult. "Who are you?" She asked him wearily.

"My name is Saizo. I've come to claim your life." He made that statement as if it was nothing which considering what she'd just been a part of, was probably the case.

"Hey! Everyone! We're still under attack!" Corrin cried.

The man's gaze became even more deadly, they lacked any emotion or compassion; solely focused on taking her life. "Destroy them!"

Corrin closed her eyes as the man started towards her. She waited for the final blow to be delivered when suddenly...

"I won't allow it!" The deep voice radiated through Corrin; she knew that voice oh so well. _Xander._

She heard the sound of his horse and the clash of metal upon metal as his Siegfried met with the other man's weapon. "What?!" The man- Saizo- hissed. "This must be their real commander..."

Xander paid him no mind as he turned to face his sister. "What's going on here, Corrin?"

"Xander! How did you know we were in trouble?"

Just then, she heard the sound of more hooves and wings flapping. "We've arrived just in time. Your luck never runs out, does it, Sister?" That suave voice was yet another sound that made her feel safe, warm and protected despite the situation.

"Are you all right? I was so worried about you." Ah...the sultry voice of her older sister, the woman who was always there for her to comfort her during her darkest hours.

"We're all here for you, Corrin!" That chirpy, happy-go-lucky voice was rather at odds with the situation but it still made Corrin's heart soar with happiness when she heard it.

She couldn't help the smile that spread across her face, relief coursing her veins. "Thank you, everyone!" However, as she looked around herself, she winced as she realised they weren't alone. "Um, but before we get too carried away...we ARE under attack."

Camilla tutted from on top of her wyvern, "Who dares attack my beloved Corrin? I'll have their heads on a platter!"

Corrin shook her head at her sister, "I'm not hurt, Camilla."

"But darling...it's the thought that counts!"

After that, Camilla took it upon herself to finish off a couple of the enemies whilst Corrin watched on in awe and mild concern for how bloodthirsty her elder sister appeared to be at this moment in time. Elise noticed her expression and laughed as she recalled how it was Corrin's first time seeing any of her siblings on an actual battlefield.

As she looked at the masked man, she saw he was deeply concerned by how the battle had turned against him. From out of the blue, a woman appeared and inquired with him about the situation, she couldn't hear much of their conversation but she did pick up on the words 'Lord Ryoma' and for some reason, those words sent a wave of uneasiness through her and not just because it was clear that backup was coming no- it was something more, it was almost like she recognised that name from somewhere...

But before she could give it anymore thought, she heard Xander grunt beside her. "It looks like more Hoshidan reinforcements are on the way." He manoeuvred his horse closer to Corrin.

"Indeed... what should we do?" Leo inquired.

Xander seemed to consider their options for a moment before speaking up again, "Well, Corrin is safe, and the fort's condition has been evaluated. ...There's no reason to engage Hoshido further at this point."

He then ordered Gunter and Corrin to go on ahead whilst they stayed behind most probably to make sure they weren't followed. Corrin agreed with Xander's commands and began to follow Gunter to the bridge...

...After that, her memory was hazy. She remembered Hans engaging Gunter and Gunter falling of the bridge, Jakob wasn't with them and she could remember the feeling of her own body descending and then as she resurfaced, she heard a voice cry out "You're mine, Nohrian!" before she felt herself being hit on the head hard from behind and as the world began to turn black she found herself thinking:

"How did I end up like this?"

* * *

 _...Thirteen years earlier..._

The young boy sighed to himself and rested his head on his hand, he tapped his foot impatiently upon a stair below the one he was sat upon. He was looking around the hall that hadn't changed in any way, shape or form since he arrived at the Northern Fortress a few days ago. He had no idea why he was here; all he knew was that it had something to do with a message his father had sent from Cheve by one of the scouts demanding that Xander leave Castle Krakenburg and travel to the fortress to wait for his father's return to Nohr.

It was nearly the middle of the night and he couldn't help the yawn that escaped from his lips, he tried to cover it with a hand but a passing maid noticed and raised and eyebrow at the young lord.

"Milord, maybe you should turn in for the night? There's no telling when your father will return."

He waved a hand dismissively, "Please, don't concern yourself, I'm all right. Besides, he should be here soon."

Despite still looking rather concerned for his wellbeing, the maid nodded and continued on with their business as Xander watched her disappear down a hallway, he heaved another sigh and rested his head against the stair railings, allowing his eyes to drift shut.

He found himself thinking about his father's reasons for travelling to Cheve to meet with the Hoshidan king, Sumeragi; he'd wanted to discuss the idea of a peace treaty with him and he couldn't help but admire his father for having such pure intentions. Xander felt a burst of pride bubble through him, it'd been difficult for him to see his once kind, proud father become harsher and crueller over time, losing all aspects of his person that had made him such a role-model throughout his early childhood. _This may be the turning point._ He thought as a slight smile graced his lips and he just hoped that the king of Hoshido would be as open as his own father about the prospect of an alliance by- arguably- the two greatest kingdoms in the world.

...At some point during his wait he fell asleep on the stairs and was only stirred awake when the huge doors burst open to reveal the figure of his father and a few of the guards trailing along behind him.

Xander jumped up from his perch and straightened out his clothes before walking down the stairs with a proud grin and beaming eyes, he expected his father to talk about how the peace talks had been a great success and there was no longer a war to be fought by the struggling kingdom however, his face quickly fell as he took in the rather grim expression on his father's face.

The young boy came to a halt, "F-Father?! What...what happened out there?" Xander was gasping for breath as he spoke, a strong sense of dread flooded through him as he considered all of the possibilities. He recalled his father's behaviour when the visited Hoshido all those years ago for a party, the way he'd picked one of their young princesses up by her hair and the outrage he'd caused. _Had his father done something similar this time?_ He prayed that that wasn't the case.

Garon loomed over his son, an eyebrow cocked up, he heaved a heavy sigh before he spoke up in a deep voice, quivering with emotion. "Those Hoshidans are not as peaceful as they claim to be..."

Xander shook his head, clearly startled by his father's words. He had _not_ expected those words to leave his father's lips. The _Hoshidans_ were behind the apparent collapse of the peace talks?!

"What do you mean by that, Father?" He was almost too afraid to ask that.

"I mean it exactly as it sounds, as soon as we arrived in Cheve, that fowl king commanded his men to attack us without mercy despite our pleas for an understanding. We fought long into the night and eventually it ended when I managed to deliver the final blow to Sumeragi. As you can see by how few men made it back, we were lucky to escape with our lives."

It was clear that Xander wasn't sure whether or not he believed his father's words but he had no evidence to the contrary..."Do you have any evidence to back up your claims, Father?"

He'd expected his father to snap at him or to be angered by his son's questioning his sincerity but instead, he just met his son's gaze evenly. "Let this serve as my proof."

Suddenly, he pulled back his cloak to reveal a small, quaking figure clinging to his leg; her own legs looking as if they were going to give out at any second. She had her face buried against him but when the light of the hall reached her face, she turned and made eye contact with Xander who let out an audible gasp when he saw her.

"C-Corrin?!" Xander chocked as he recalled the tiny, bubbly child he'd met that night in Hoshido. Ever since that day, he'd often thought about the girl with the alluring, captivating eyes, soft pale hair that he wanted to run his hand through and her strange ears that intrigued him. She was so outgoing then and was clearly someone who did what she wanted regardless of the consequences which was such a contrast to the terrified version of her he saw now. There was blood in her hair and she was biting her lip, she turned her gaze away from Xander almost as quickly as it had landed on him.

before he could ask any questions, the king spoke up again. "She was there during the final confrontation with Sumeragi, she tried to stop the fighting because due to her young age, she was naïve enough to believe her father was still after peace and as a result of her interfering, he shoved her aside however, it was clear that he did so with a lot more force than intentional- hence the head injury- as he looked back during a moment of weakness to witness what he had done and it was during that time we used his distraction to our advantaged and ended him. Unfortunately, she doesn't seem able to remember what occurred that night nor can she recall what her father did but maybe that's for the best, no child should have to go through a trauma like that." King Garon seemed so sincere as he spoke of what had apparently transpired and as he wasn't there at the time, Xander had no reason to think his father was lying to him...

...Except...he remembered with perfect clarity her elder brother; the Hoshidan prince; he'd seemed so protective of her and caring, it was clear that she had him wrapped around her little finger and as well as him, her father was outraged when he saw how Garon had gone after his daughter, the fear in his eyes when he thought that Garon may seriously hurt her and yet...going by his father _now_ , the Hoshidan royals- her family- had been so unconcerned with her wellbeing that they allowed her to attend a warzone and then hurt her when she tried to prevent the confrontation; it was too much for the young prince to comprehend let alone believe. However, he could see her injury as clear as day and not only that but she was now here in Nohr clinging to his father's leg like it was a lifeline, surely even if he _was_ lying, she wouldn't be so attached to him now if he'd been the one to do wrong by her or if he hadn't helped her in some way. Even if she couldn't recall exactly what happened that night, surely on a subconscious level- if Garon had been the cause of her trauma- then it would still step in to offer at least some form of protection from him even when her conscious mind wasn't able.

Regardless of whether or not his father was telling the truth, Xander couldn't deny his anger at what she'd gone through, _Those Hoshidan fiends either couldn't or wouldn't protect her, they allowed her to get hurt!_ The young boy didn't understand exactly _why_ her being hurt upset him so but it did. Through gritted teeth he spoke up again, "What are you planning to do with her?"

His father moved his still gloved hand towards Corrin in order to pat her on the head and flinched before relaxing into the embrace. "I plan on allowing her to live here within the Fortress, she'll be well hidden from the Hoshidans here and only a few of us shall know of her and her presence. She will be my child, your sibling and so I'll be expecting you to look after her, do I make myself clear?"

Xander could hardly comprehend what his father was saying and- if he was being honest- it pained him a little; he'd already had many siblings over the years to many different mothers, most of which were either dead or suffering as a result of their mothers trying to get them into Garon's favour. However, when he looked at the frightened child again, he realised that he already loved her and cared for her deeply; seeing her as his sister would be as easy as breathing for him because he already felt a connection to her, he had done since he'd first met her in Hoshido. "Very well, Father, I will care for her."

"She is not to know the truth of her origins, Boy, no matter what and she is not allowed to leave here."

"You mean...she can't leave here at all?"

His father shook his head. "She's only allowed out on the fortress grounds from time to time, I'm having the mages set up a barrier around this place, she's not allowed outside of it."

Xander didn't know how to feel about it; _does she really deserve to spend her life like this? She'll barely know anyone, she'll be lonely a lot and will know so little of the outside world, is this...really best for her?_

"You may as well start getting to know her from this point onwards, Son, I've already ordered the maids to organise a room for her, one of them will escort you both their now. I will be returning to the castle, return as soon as you are able so we can discuss this situation in more depth."

With that said, his father gave Corrin a slight push on her shoulder, moving her towards Xander despite her reluctance. After that, he quickly turned and stalked from the hall without looking back in the direction of his children.

Xander sighed at his father's brusque manner as he left, _so much for caring!_ He shook his head to clear his thoughts before looking down at the small girl who was hesitantly walking towards him. Stretching out his arm so that he could take her hand, he tried to smile as reassuringly as possible at her before addressing her: "Corrin? My name is Xander, I'm not sure if you remember me but..."- Upon seeing her confused expression, it was clear that she _couldn't_ remember their brief meeting, not like he blamed her.- "...Corrin, it's okay, don't be afraid, everything will be okay Little Princess."

Her head snapped up then, "L-'Little Princess'?" _Why does that seem so familiar?_ She thought to herself.

"Sorry, was that inappropriate? May I take your hand, Corrin?"

Corrin's eyes shifted towards his outstretched hand before flicking up to his eyes; they held such warmth and love for her and she knew in that moment that Xander would always keep her safe and so she placed her own hand into his gloved one. His hand was warm and comforting and he was smiling down at her with such kindness that she felt her cheeks turn a little pink, she returned his smile with a shy one.

Just then, a lady approached them. "Milord, Milady, are you both ready?"

Xander nodded. "Yes, lead the way."

Xander began to follow the woman and Corrin walked beside him despite now feeling a little tense; _where were they taking her?_

"X-Xandy...where are we going?"

His thumb brushed against the back of her hand reassuringly, his mouth twitching slightly at the nickname that she'd come up with when he'd first met her, he liked to think that she called him that because she remembered their first meeting on a subconscious level but it was probably because she was still too young to say his name properly. "My apologies, I should've explained, we're just taking you to your room is all, you have no reason to worry."

"Oh...okay!"

They walked in a comfortable silence after that, the walk seemed to go on forever and was made all the more difficult for the young princess due to how short her strides were in comparison to Xander's, she could tell that he was trying to change his pace to suit her own but it wasn't working all that well. She began to wonder if she was annoying him and found herself biting her lip again at that thought. For some reason, she couldn't recall how she'd gotten here, in fact, she couldn't recall much of anything! It was really strange, all she could remember were blurry figures, shouts and screams and not much more than that if she was being honest with herself. It worried her a lot that these people apparently knew her but she couldn't remember them for the life of her. The five-year-old felt like a burden and at that thought she came to a halt.

Xander froze when he realised that the little girl had, he halted the maid before turning to face her, he could see that she was shaking and sniffling, lifting a hand to her face to wipe her nose. He bowed down in front of her, "Little Princess?" He blurted before mentally scolding himself: _she didn't like that the first time!_

Her eyes widened at that as she met his gaze, "Wh...why do you call me that?"

He hesitated, "...Because it's affectionate, it's meant with the best of intentions I assure you." It was a lame answer and he knew it however he was too embarrassed to admit the real reason. "I'm sorry, I know you don't like it."

"No! It's not that I don't like it, it's just that...I- I don't remember you at all and yet...you're okay with calling me 'Little Princess', I just feel like I've let you down somehow." Her lower lip began to tremble.

He placed his hands on both of her shoulders. "Hey, you haven't let me down at all-" He felt cruel saying that to her, he barely knew her even if to him it felt like he'd known her forever he was so comfortable being around her which is why he referred to her by the nickname but because of that, she thought that they knew each other for a long time before tonight but in actuality, the family she'd been with up until now was her Hoshidan one, not this one.

With strong feelings of guilt and unease pooling in his stomach, he reached out to stroke her hair but quickly pulled back when she winced. "Ah!" She cried.

"Oops, I forgot about your wounds. We should have them tended to..." He then took in her full appearance, her clothes were torn and covered in dirt, her face was scratched and bruised and her hair as well as being bloodied was also knotted and greasy like it hadn't been washed in some time. Xander rolled his eyes and tutted, _why hadn't his father taken better care of her if he was so concerned for her wellbeing?_ "Before we take you to your room, we should get your injuries tended to and bathe you first."

He gave the maid- who'd been waiting patiently- orders to deal with those matters and she looked at him in surprise. "But what about showing you both to her room?! Those orders came from your father-"

He smiled reassuringly at her. "Don't worry, you can show us there afterwards, I'll wait in the library for you to finish with the tasks and then you can escort us."

The maid looked slightly taken aback but otherwise nodded and strolled towards Corrin in order to take her hand however, the little girl froze and shrank back against Xander. "Milady, I'm just going to make you more presentable, don't worry...you don't have to be afraid."

Instead of being reassured, she just wrapped her arms around Xander's waist and pulled herself closer to him, causing both the maid and Xander to gasp in surprise. Xander felt a slight blush grace his cheeks as he addressed her. "Little Princess!? It's okay, you're okay, she won't hurt you, I promise." His voice was a few octaves higher than usual due to his shock which he noted was rather unbefitting for the crown prince of Nohr, not to mention rather humiliating.

She turned her head up to look into his eyes. "Xandy I- I don't want to go with her, I want to be with you!" She whined.

Smiling ruefully at her honesty, he moved to hold her tighter against him, "I can't be with you as you bathe, Corrin but don't worry, I'll be close by and she'll be as quick as possible."

"You promise?"

"I promise."

"O-okay, I'll be brave for you, Xandy!" She beamed before suddenly moving to grasp the maid's hand.

"Heh, I'm sure you will be." He nodded at the seemingly dazed maid and she began to walk away with Corrin in tow, Xander watched them go for a few minutes, chuckling lightly to himself before heading for the library.

* * *

A little while later, the maid turned up at the library whilst Xander was reading a rather intriguing section on a new sword technique. It was easy for people to be led to believe that he was a natural at fighting, strategy and the like however, that was far from the truth. In fact he practised for hours every day in an attempt to become better and stronger.

Corrin totted towards him wearing a clean nightgown, she looked to be in much better shape than she was previously. "See? I told you everything would be all right, didn't I?"

She nodded at him. "Yes you did Big Bro."

"B-Big Bro?!" He stuttered.

Beaming up at him, she spoke up again. "Yep, you're my Big Bro Xandy, you take care of me."

Well I-I'm glad you think so."

After that they started towards her new room again eventually arriving there before proceeding to thank the maid for guiding them and sending her off to fulfil her other tasks. "So...I know it's not much at the moment but will it do for now, Little Princess?"

Taking her first steps into her new room she ignored Xander's question as she began to look around and as soon as her eyes landed on the large bed, she realised just how exhausted she was after all of the excitement of the night. She started towards the bed and quickly dove into its softness, enjoying the feel of the blankets on her skin. An exuberant laugh drew her attention back to the doorway and she saw Xander trying to disguise his amusement as best as he could. "You're sleepy, huh? Well, I suppose I can't blame you really."

The little girl smiled mischievously at him as she made herself even more comfortable in the large bed as he continued to watch over her. As her eyes began to drift shut, Xander made to close the door and leave her be when suddenly...

"Xandy, where are you going?!"

"Huh? I'm going to my room to rest up for my journey back to Castle Krakenburg tomorrow." _Was something wrong?_

Fear flooded her gaze at that. "You mean you're leaving me?" _Why am I so afraid of being alone?_ Corrin thought to herself; she truly didn't understand why she felt the way she did especially when she took into consideration all that Xander had already done for her. All she knew was that she _couldn't_ be alone right now, she was too scared to be left alone, afraid of what she'd see when she closed her eyes...

Xander hesitantly nodded.

Her face fell at that and she shifted herself out from under the covers in order to reach out for him despite the distance between them, "Please don't go, Xandy, I don't want to be alone." She whined.

The prince bit his lip as he considered his options; he was _incredibly_ tired and he admittedly felt a little concerned about Corrin's apparent 'attachment issue' with him however, it _was_ her first night here and whilst he wasn't exactly sure what had occurred in Cheve, it had clearly affected her a great deal- how could he possibly leave her alone during her time of need?

As she watched the conflicted boy in front of her, she looked down at the bed beneath her before looking at him again with a smile which she hoped looked somewhat reassuring to him. "It's okay, Xandy, you've done a lot for me tonight; I'm sorry for being selfish, I'll let you go."

Before she could even blink, the boy was next to her and he was wrapping her back up under her covers as he took a seat next to her on the bed, he brushed her hair out of her face and smiled at her gently. "You're not being selfish, Corrin, I want to make you happy and I want to protect you from anything and anyone who tries to hurt you and so I will stay with you until you fall asleep so you'll be okay, don't worry. My room is just down the hall if you need me at all during the night and then tomorrow morning, I'll wake you up and we can play for a bit before I leave to have my meeting with Father."

She closed her eyes after that and as she began to fall asleep, she replayed Xander's words over in her head which seemed to jolt a memory free inside, _she'd heard words like those not too long ago:_

 _She recalled feelings of panic and fear, she couldn't recall why she was so afraid however, she knew that she was worried something very bad was going to happen to people she cared about and she wanted to keep them safe at all costs but they wouldn't listen to her warnings no matter how hard she tried to make them pay attention to her! She remembered groaning in frustration at that fact especially since this was her last chance to voice her concerns to someone but- for some reason- she couldn't remember the person she was talking to from the bed she was sitting in, all her memory could conjure up was a shadowy figure in the doorway as they tried to leave and then a soft, male voice which said: '..."I vow to you Corrin, everything will be okay. In fact, in the morning, I'll come and see you, I'll wake you up personally so that you can see that everything went according to plan and we'll laugh and play together, just like we always do. As your big brother, I will never let you down that I promise to you."...'. After that, the figure left her alone in the room, closing the door behind him leaving her enclosed in darkness._

She fought the urge to open her eyes to look up at Xander again after she managed to pull herself away from the flashback, the boy from her memory referred to himself as her 'big brother'...did that mean those words came from Xander? Was she trying to warn him and keep him safe? The voice from her memory sounded different compared to Xander's but...who else _could_ have said that if not Xander?

...Eventually sleep claimed her, forcing her away from her thoughts and into dreams that thanks to Xander's presence at her side weren't at all dark or scary.

 _...Some time later..._

Corrin stirred awake due to the sound of grunting outside her window, she sat up suddenly and tried to get her brain to work as she took in her surroundings, _Xander's not here,_ she realised with a start. As she wiped the sleep out from her eyes, she stood up and walked over to the window and when she looked down, she saw the familiar mop of blonde hair that belonged to the boy who had been with her during the night. He was now outside and seemed to be using a sword to attack a training dummy and she couldn't help but smile at the sight despite her concern, it was evident from when he was with her that he was drained due to the night's events and yet he was still practising with his sword. Despite it not being her place to do so, she wanted to go outside and scold him, _he needs to take better care of himself!_ She thought as she watched him. But...if she was being honest with herself, she was actually enjoying watching him train, she felt so safe and reassured as he struck the training dummy over and over again with his sword.

Yet again, this sight seemed to bring up an old memory from somewhere in the depths of her mind; in another time, another place, she'd watched someone she referred to as 'big bro' train with his sword, she'd tried to mimic his movements however, she felt so safe in his presence that she'd ended up drifting off to sleep. The sounds he was making whilst training were clearly made by the same boy from her previous memory and that boy's sword blows were just as strong and as capable as Xander's appeared to be however, the longer she remained with her thoughts, the more the image altered to the point at which the shadowy figure slowly changed to an image of Xander training, the noises were no longer a mystery to her (they were being made in Xander's familiar, warm voice) and the movements she were trying to imitate were his.

Yes, this all but confirmed it for her, the boy from her memories _was_ Xander, these were events that occurred before she received her head injury! She felt incredibly guilty for having forgotten these things, for having forgotten her big bro but she could now remember him and could now make up for lost time. With those thoughts in her head, she carried on watching the young boy until she fell into a deep sleep once again.

* * *

Well...what did you think? Did you like the introduction to Nohr? I sure did, especially since I got to work on Xander's character (he's so shy and unsure despite his title, bless). Speaking of which, did any of you see the 'Warriors' trailer, three of my all-time favourite 'fictional' husbands (Chrom, Ryoma and Xander) are in it, I have a lot of reasons to be hyped for that game but their presence in it makes it a must buy. xD Until next time. xXx


	19. Relations

You know that moment when you haven't updated a story in nearly a whole year and you have no idea what you're coming back to? ...Yep...that's me with this. xD

Hello one and all and welcome to the next Chapter of the 'Reasons to Live' Arc. It's been a while (understatement of the century). I'd like to say I have an excuse for not updating this story in months but really...it was just pure laziness on my part. Although admittedly, the next few months are going to be busy for me so my apologies if I don't update again for a while.

But I wanted to get this Chapter out to you! I've been working on it ever since the last Chapter was posted and now it's finally here! I'm so proud of this Chapter and I hope you'll all enjoy it as well. =)

As for the character ages, Xander is twelve, Camilla is eight, Corrin is still five, Leo is four and Elise is just a few months old at the start of this Chapter.

Well...without further ado, here we go! A huge thanks to the bands **Epica** and **Dark Sarah** whose music has allowed me to write up this Chapter at long last.

 ***Spoilers Warning*** Definite spoilers about the Avatar's actual relation to both the Hoshidan and Nohrian royal families (hopefully people will know what this means and if they don't then that probably means they shouldn't read on). Also, spoilers about certain game events.

 **Disclaimer:** I own nothing to do with 'Fire Emblem [Fates]', its locations, characters etc. All rights go to their respective owners.

 **Rated T. *Warning*** Brief mentions of blood and violence.

* * *

 **Reasons to Live: Relations**

"When will she awaken dear Brother?" A voice drawled from somewhere nearby.

"When she's ready to Camilla." Another voice answered with a no small amount of amusement colouring his tone.

She could almost _hear_ the pout that the owner of the original voice was sporting. "But she's been asleep for so long and we came all the way here just to meet her!"

"Well you might have, but I was all but _dragged_ here." A third voice spoke up with annoyance. Whilst all three voices seemed to belong to children, this was the youngest of all and seemed to be coming from further away.

"That wasn't the case at all Leo." The other male voice quipped.

"Hmph!"

Eventually, the slumbering child realised that they probably weren't going to go away until she'd at least opened her eyes which she timidly did so- at first only half way mind- and then completely.

She found the female perched at the edge of her bed, her striking hair and unusual shade of purple and her clothes mainly black with golden flecks. A gentle smile adorned her face as she stared at the newly- awakened child. _So..._ this _is Camilla._ The child thought.

The only one she knew, Xander, was stood leaning on her chest of drawers for support, arms folded over his chest, his head bowed low but his eyes watching her intently.

She couldn't see the owner of the third voice from this angle and so she just lay there...waiting.

"Hello my dear!" The female no- Camilla- drawled as she made a sudden move towards the child.

This caused her to shoot up into a sitting position and to scurry backwards on her bed in an attempt to get as far away from this new face as possible, her arms crossed over her legs to form a barrier.

Camilla sighed, her eyes closing in disbelief, "Honestly, is that any way to greet your sister?" She groaned.

Xander decided to speak up then. "Hush, Camilla, she doesn't remember us and she went through such an ordeal in Cheve, give her time."

Rolling her eyes, she stood up from her perch on the bed. "Oh very well, but she's so adorable...you know I have a hard time resisting cute things." She practically sang the words!

"X-Xandy...who is she?" The little girl asked, her eyes wide and afraid.

"Little princess..." He started as he walked towards the bed and knelt down next to her. "This is your elder sister Camilla, she's travelled all the way to the Northern Fortress to keep you company."

Corrin tried her best to recall the fact she had a 'sister' but her mind was a blank.

When she didn't respond, Xander spoke up again, "-And he-" He pointed to a figure standing at her doorway and Camilla moved out of the way so she could see the boy in question, "-he is Leo, our younger brother."

"Younger...brother?" She repeated in a hushed tone.

She took in the small stature of the boy, he looked no older than three or four-years-old but despite that, the deep frown set upon his face and his glaring eyes were enough to unsettle her and make her cringe even further away.

"Not like I want you to think of me as such." He muttered with unveiled distain.

"Leo." Xander sighed as he turned to face the younger boy who had turned to glare at the elder prince.

"We were fine! We were happy with just the four of us! After all that's happened within the court- with our other siblings-" He cut off as his voice cracked with raw emotion and pain. "How can you possibly expect me to just accept her?!" He pointed in her direction.

"Leo darling, we know it's been a difficult time but this is different, nothing like that will happen again and she belongs here with us."

A pout graced his features at that. "Well not in my eyes." He muttered before storming off down the corridor.

After a few moments of awkward silence Camilla spoke up "I'll go after him, I'll meet you in the entrance hall, Xander. Farewell Corrin." She murmured to the girl with a warm smile before leaving the room.

"I'm sorry about that Little Princess." Xander murmured with a smile.

"Wh-why did he say 'just the four of us'?" She asked wide-eyed.

Xander looked startled by the question for a moment before answering. "You have another younger sibling; a little sister called Elise but she's only a few months old so she isn't able to travel all the way here just yet."

"C- can't I go and meet her?"

He looked out of the nearby window whilst answering. "I'm afraid not, you're not allowed to leave here, remember?"

Corrin turned her head away from him then. "I know." She whispered.

She'd learned that the hard way. By this point, she'd already been here for nearly two whole months and during her first couple of weeks at the fortress, everything was grand that was until Xander's departure back to the Castle. She had no idea he was going to leave and when she had a nightmare one night and went to his bedroom for a reassuring cuddle and found he was no longer there, fear overtook her and was only sated by the sound of a horse outside and Xander's voice. _He's leaving!_ She thought with terror and she sprinted downstairs as fast as she could, she almost made it to the big doors when a blue-haired maid restrained her.

"No, you can't leave!" She cried.

"B-but Xandy!" The girl whimpered.

"No!" A stern voice belonging to an aged man stated as he grabbed her and began to pull her away from both the door and the maid and back to her prison. She didn't make it easy for him; she kicked and screamed the whole way. She heard other soldiers, butlers and maids offering to help the man who was taking her back to her room but he declined every single one of them.

When he opened the door to her room, he practically launched her inside, after she caught her bearings she tried to get back out again, _Xandy's left me all alone, I need him hear with me!_ Her terrified thoughts were screaming at her; he was the only person she would interact with since arriving here, she didn't know anyone else and they all looked oh so menacing.

But her attempts to get out of her room again before her door as shut were thwarted almost as quickly as they began as the man slammed the door in her face without even glancing in her direction and she could hear with perfect clarity as a key turned- sealing her inside. She spent futile hours after that trying desperately to get the door to open again, tears streaming out her eyes and her fingers and nails bloodied by her clawing at it over and over again. Despite the room being rather big with a large bed, fireplace, en suite, balcony etc., it still felt as if the walls were closing in around her- cramping her in as her legs gave way under her and she buckled to the floor in a heap as she screamed and cried. She was all alone and she hated it! She didn't know why she was so afraid but there was absolutely nothing she could do about it.

When Corrin turned to face her big bro again she realised he'd been watching her with a look of sympathy the entire time. _Someone must've told him about what occurred that night._

"I'm sorry but it's the way it has to be for now, Little Princess. Some bad people may try to take you away from us or hurt you and we can't have that now, can we?"

She resigned at that but she still found it strange, _why would anyone want to take_ me _away?_ She questioned in her mind. Surely it'd make more sense to take away the high prince or the youngest princess.

"Besides there's technically six of us; yourself included." Xander brought this up to try and distract her- he had a feeling he knew she was thinking about why anyone would want to take her away and he had to stop the trail of thought in case she recalled Hoshido or what happened in Cheve.

Her blood-red eyes went wide at that, "Six?!"

He nodded. "You technically have another older sister but...unfortunately you're forbidden from meeting with her just like the rest of us are."

A wave of disappointment washed over her at that. "Oh..." She drifted off.

"But don't worry- I won't let this solitude last forever Little Princess." He murmured before bending down to place a soft kiss upon her forehead. "I promise." He told her this before leaving her yet again to return to Castle Krakenburg.

* * *

 ***A few days later.***

"Father," The twelve-year-old began as he bowed low before the mighty stature of the king of Nohr. "we've returned." He looked across and met the gazes of Camilla and Leo whose positions mirrored his own.

The man who was sat in his throne merely grunted at his eldest son as he rested his head on hid hand, looking as if he'd rather be anywhere else. On either side of him stood Iago and Gunter. "How is the child fairing?"

Xander hesitated before responding. "She's...she's doing okay but she's still struggling to come out of her shell. She won't leave her room nor will she talk to anyone and she didn't take too kindly to Camilla or Leo."

"Heh, that's an understatement." Leo muttered under his breath.

"Leo!" Both Xander and Camilla hissed.

Garon held up a hand then. "If your younger brother has something to say then let him speak."

Dread filled the two eldest siblings- their father was always fuming whenever he received a report about how little progress was being made with Corrin. Xander in particular didn't understand it- he took her in after she went through a serious trauma; did he really expect her to just adapt to her new life this quickly?! But he bit his tongue- if he put up more resistance against allowing Leo to speak his mind then their father might jump to conclusions and punish Corrin even worse than he did last time.

For it had been his command that if she caused any trouble then Gunter had permission to lock her in her room for as long as it took for her to behave but all that had succeeded in doing was turning Corrin into even more of a shrinking violet than she'd already been beforehand. When Xander had returned to her side a week later, he found her sitting in a corner of her room shaking and as soon as she saw him, she wrapped her arms around him and refused to let go for a whole hour. It seemed as if she was only comfortable around him and he tried to convince his father to allow him to remain at the fortress until she was more comfortable but he wouldn't let him! He then recommended allowing her to meet Camilla and Leo sooner rather than later since he figured they could help her come out of her shell but obviously that didn't work either and now...

"She wouldn't even speak to us! She just cowered away from us and would only talk to Xander." Leo spat.

"Is that so?" Garon commented with barely controlled rage. "In that case, Gunter!"

"Yes Milord?" He responded as he bowed low before his lord.

"Take this with you to the Northern Fortress-" The king handed the guard a long piece of leather. "-You must teach Corrin how to behave the hard way it seems."

Camilla inhaled sharply and Leo looked dumbfounded whilst Xander leaped forward in desperation- his eyes pleading with his father to see sense. "Y-you can't! Father...she's only five-years-old please don't- don't make Gunter do this it won't help her, it'll just make her more afraid."

"Like I'm concerned for her feelings, she is a Nohrian royal and as such, she has to learn to act like one and Nohrian royals don't cower." A twisted smile crossed his face then. "Of course...if you don't want Gunter to take on this burden then maybe it should fall to you given how much she trusts you?"

A gasp escaped Xander's lips- his eyes widened and he gritted his teeth- he couldn't- wouldn't- hurt Corrin in that way! He wouldn't hurt any of his siblings in that way especially one who had already been through so much recently.

Before he could respond Gunter spoke up, "Milord, if I may, I will take on this mantle, it is of no concern to me what should happen to her either."

Garon contemplated for a moment before nodding his agreement. "Very well- make haste."

It was clear that he was done with them all and so Gunter began to leave the hall but Xander was right on his heels and he placed a hand on the man's arm- pulling him back as Camilla and Leo followed close behind him. "Gunter please...I'm begging you, don't do this to her!" It felt so...unseemly for him- the high prince of Nohr- to be begging but he couldn't help it- whenever he pictured her small face, bright eyes and beaming smile- he wanted to do anything to protect it- protect _her-_ his Little Princess! He didn't entirely understand why he was so passionate about doing anything to achieve that goal but achieve it he would...no matter the cost.

Gunter met the young prince's eyes and just stared for a few moments in silence, a deep scowl set upon his features but his expression unreadable. Eventually he sighed deeply and closed his eyes before turning his back on the three royals. "I shall see what I can do but I have my orders directly from the king- they aren't just ones I can ignore but...it is my duty to consider your stance on this matter as well, Lord Xander." After that he walked away without looking back.

After what seemed like an eternity in silence, Leo hesitantly spoke up. "Camilla...Xander I-I didn't mean for this to happen. I'm so sorry!" His face was as white as a sheet and his eyes had tears in them. "You tried to warn me but I didn't listen and now she's gonna get hurt!"

Camilla bent down and scooped the young boy up into her arms. "Hush now, this is not your fault- I have a feeling Father would've given this order no matter what so don't blame yourself and have faith in Gunter." She smiled reassuringly at him as she stroked his hair.

A sniffle escaped from his lips but he nodded and rubbed his nose. "O-okay."

Camilla looked at Xander and Xander met her gaze in turn and despite her words of comfort for Leo- it was clear that she said them as much for his benefit as well as for that of their young brother's.

"You're right Camilla...all we can do it wait and see." The resigned Prince spoke allowed before escorting his siblings to their rooms and then leaving them so he could train long into the night.

* * *

Upon Gunter's arrival at the room that the Hoshidan, no, _Nohrian-_ he corrected himself _-_ princess currently occupied, he closed his eyes and tried to prepare himself for carrying out his task.

All he was doing now was to benefit him in the long run- not the child nor the king- him. He had to keep that at the forefront of his mind no matter how gruesome or terrible his orders became...it was all he could do to get what he'd been seeking for oh so long.

Eventually, he opened her door as quietly as possible and looked inside. He found her in a huddle next to her bed, her arms wrapped around her knees. She was so small and frail wearing a pure white night-gown with her hair hanging loosely around her shoulders. Upon hearing her door creak open, she looked up at him and met his gaze with wide tear-stained eyes, her lips slightly parted with her surprise.

He fled from her line of sight almost as quickly as he'd entered it to begin with. His eyes closing yet again, he saw her face overlap with that of another young child and he knew right there and then that he just _couldn't_ go through with his orders- it was bad enough when he had to lock her in her room as a punishment last time, let alone going through with something like _this_.

 _..."Gunter please...I'm begging you, don't do this to her!"..._

He didn't want to! But what could he do?!

He was about to let out a frustrated groan when all of sudden, he had an idea...

 **...**

 **... ...**

 **... ... ...**

After the stranger left, Corrin returned to her previous position, her head buried against her knees as her thoughts were overwhelmed with dark images of two figures one of which collapsing in front of her as the other stood high and mighty above him- glaring at him with menace.

Just then she heard something coming towards her and she looked up to see a round object approaching her. She looked around confused until she spotted that strange man at her doorway again- his eyes now were warm and gentle but also weary and sad. She pouted and cocked her head to one side as she looked between him and the ball before she hesitantly made a move towards it.

Gripping it between her hands, she inspected it for a moment before throwing it back to him.

"Heh." The man smiled at her responsive attitude to the game and then passed it back to her.

She giggled at that- actually giggled- as she returned his throw with another one of her own.

This went on for some time with the only sounds being their skin against leather whenever the captured the ball and the sounds of their laughter. Eventually, Gunter decided to see if he could get her to speak. "My name is Gunter, what's yours?" Of course he already knew but he wanted to test the waters before anything else.

A look of suspicion crossed her face but she still told him. "C-Corrin."

"That's a lovely name and how old are you?"

"F-five."

He beamed. "Excellent."

She smiled.

"So...you don't have to answer me but if you can then will you tell me why you don't want to speak with anyone other than Xander?"

She was silent for so long that he thought she wouldn't respond but she was still playing catch with him and so he kept on playing in silence- giving her time to decide what she wanted to do or say from here on out.

"I-" She began. "I have memories of Xandy. I don't recall anyone else, I don't remember this place nor do I know much about myself or why I can't leave here. But I remember figures...and voices- words of other people besides Xandy and yet..." She trailed off.

"None of them belong to anyone here."

She shook her head to confirm his observation.

Gunter frowned for a moment before replying. "But that doesn't mean you have to be afraid of the people here, they're here to look after you."

With wide eyes, her hands froze around the ball. "Th-they are?!"

He nodded.

"I feel cruel now." She admitted, rather embarrassed.

He stood up and walked towards her, stretching a hand out towards her. "You don't have to be, I know what it's like to lose faith in the people around you but...now you know that they won't hurt you, will you make an effort to communicate with them? I'll help you and I'm sure Xandy will if you ask him nicely." It felt odd referring to his prince as 'Xandy' but he wanted to feel more at ease.

After contemplating for a few moments, she nodded her head and hand in hand they went on to begin making an impression around the Northern Fortress.

* * *

A few short weeks later, life had changed a lot for the 'Nohrian' princess.

Thanks in large part to both Xandy and Gunter, she was now a lot more comfortable within her new home. Whilst there was still a long way to go (she still tried to push the boundaries when it came to getting more freedom), she now felt as if she could function relatively okay even when Xandy left her all alone.

She got to know two maid, Flora and Felicia fairly well and Gunter was now a permanent resident of the fortress unless called away for business by her father.

She'd even gotten to meet one of her siblings again, when Xandy was particularly busy, Camilla came to keep her company in his stead and she found that just like Xandy, her big sis was more than willing to play with her during the day and comfort her at night when her bad dreams and loneliness got to her the most.

Camilla was a great person to have a laugh with and she would always braid her hair or allow her to try on pretty new dresses but it was mainly her smile that made Corrin that happiest- it was so warm and genuine.

The people occupying the Northern Fortress were quickly learning that their new 'master' was a little fire cracker; full with fire, passion and energy- a spark of life always gleaming in her eyes and a burning curiosity. Instead of spending all her time in her room, it was now virtually impossible to know where she was at any given time. Whilst she had her usual haunts like the library or the music room, she'd been known to hide in the laundry baskets for a laugh or raid the art room for paints so she could create pieces of *ahem* 'fine art'. She wasn't naughty nor did she cause them much trouble or extra work but it was still such a contrast to how she was before Gunter convinced her to come out of her shell that it caught them a bit off-guard from time to time how outgoing of a person she really was.

Although, there was still one person she hadn't managed to warm up to yet- her younger brother Leo was doing his best to avoid her. Whenever his siblings visited he'd also tag along but despite that, Corrin would never see him which would upset her deeply. _Had she truly upset him that much the first time they'd met?_

She was contemplating that fact as she made her way towards the library. She'd just been with Camilla and Xander but they'd been called away for some reason or another and so she'd decided to keep herself amused with a good book. A small sigh left her mouth as she approached but when she looked inside, she realised the library wasn't empty.

At a table near to the door sat a young, blonde-haired boy and a single maid keeping a close eye on him as he read. Despite being younger than herself, he had a stack of huge tomes clogging up his table, his legs swinging as he ran his fingers under the text, mouthing the words. She squinted to see what the books were about and she recognised a magic symbol on the spine and realised that for one reason or another, her younger brother was dedicating his time to magic research.

She slowly crept up behind him. "Those look complicated."

Leo jumped out of his skin when he heard her voice behind him and he turned to face her with an annoyed expression. "Hardly!" He muttered abruptly which caused a flash of hurt to shoot across her features and so he softened his tone slightly. "These are the magic tomes for children, I've been studying them for a while by this point."

"Wow...no one would believe you're younger than me."

"Only by a year!" He countered. "-And not even that technically."

"Heh, fair point."

A brief silence followed and so the boy turned back to the book in his lap. "May I join you?" Corrin asked.

He looked back to her dumbfounded, "Of course, it's more your library than mine since the Castle has one but this one suffices as well."

She beamed at being allowed to join him and went to grab one of the fairy-tale books she been recently getting into- with romance and princes and all that good stuff- she realised that it made her look like an unsophisticated half-wit reading a storybook whilst her younger brother was studying complicated magic tomes but she was just so happy to be able to bond with him over something that she really didn't care.

As she took her seat next to him, both of them read for a while in silence, their legs now swinging backwards and forwards in unison. "Thank you." Corrin whispered to him.

Leo didn't acknowledge what she'd said out loud but he did look across at his elder sister, observing her as she read for a bit before smiling and returning to his own book which he read whilst continuing to glance over at her for the rest of the afternoon.

* * *

So...I hope you enjoyed this! Thank you for all of your continued support even during my long absence from this story, I really do appreciate it and every single one of you lovely readers! =) Until next time. xXx


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